t’s the start of another year, and that means another opportunity to embark on new resolutions. New Year’s resolutions are
characteristically unpleasant for most people because they typically focus on changing so-called ‘negative’ behaviours.
So, how to put a different spin on this tradition? I was listening to my favourite podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin,
and prompted by a listener, they suggested creating an ‘18 in 2018’ list whereby you focus on completing fun and enriching
activities which could be anything from learning to cook something complex, to taking a special trip to throwing a party. It is a
different way to set goals and see yourself grow in the process.
On that note, the theme of our issue is renewal and the different forms that concept embodies. Whether you are looking
to start an exercise routine, or look stylish doing it, you can take some cues from our Fitness column (page 24) that will
help motivate you to find creative ways to sweat it out in the city. Our Interview column on page 26 focuses on Janelle
Bereberoğlu,who just a couple of years ago started the popular athleisure line Chikirina with her cousin. They
are now selling to Amazon US and UK-based asos.com!
Renewal also means replenishment, restoration and repair. We are excited to introduce a Sustainability
section, and two new contributors to the magazine. Haro Cumbusyan and Jodie Harburt are passionate
about the subject, and each have their own take and approach to what living a sustainable life means. You
can read more starting on page 12.
Turning to culture, Jennifer’s Hamam is a business that exemplifies renewal: Her story is about a quest
to save the vanishing art form of traditional Turkish weaving. Jennifer pulled artisans from the brink of
bankruptcy eight years ago and established a business model that has enabled traditional weavers
to thrive in their profession once again. All her raw materials and products are sourced in Turkey,
and the textiles she sells are made with natural fibres and dyes, including GOTS certified organic
cotton.
As usual we have a great line-up of programmes to help you explore art, culture and food in the
city. I hope you enjoy the content we’ve pulled together, and wish you a year of adventure and
growth!
MONISHA KAR
Lale Editor

A LETTER FROM THE CHAIR

A

new year often brings with it the idea of ‘change’. Isn’t that why we have New Year’s Resolution? Because we want
‘change’; or is it that we have a ‘need’ to improve?

For me, in 2018 I need to improve my Turkish. I also need to focus more on my health, balancing my commitments with a
healthy lifestyle and managing time for things that really matter to me.
For the International Women of Istanbul (IWI), we need to continue with the improvements we have made over the past
couple of years. We need to understand what is important to our members; and how to get more women involved with the
organisation. IWI offers her members so many opportunities, from volunteering to learning to social interactions.
One of the largest opportunity that IWI has is offering her members the chance to learn new skills or improve upon current
ones. Being an active team member allows us to shape and improve the organisation. It also provides job experience for your
CV and LinkedIn profile. IWI provides reference letters.
Everyone has a talent to share. So, I encourage you to get involved and help make IWI
even better; because, IWI needs you.
Warmest Regards,
Anna Ilhan
IWI Chairwoman

3

T

he IWI 2017 Winter Festival has drawn to a close; and the Event Organisers are very pleased with the results. We thought
it was a hugely enjoyable day, and we hope you did too.

Below are some statistics of the event that might interest you. All net proceeds raised go directly to the IWI Social
Responsibility Fund, which supports selected charities through our grant process that happens every April & May. Please visit
our Social Responsibility web page for more details www.iwi-tr.org/social-responsibility.
Reading these statistics, we think you will agree that a lot of effort went into this event from a lot of people, with a lot of
supporters. We thank each and every person, company and organisation who made a contribution.

Thanks from IWI
THANKS FROM IWI TO OUR
for the
SPONSORS
AND DONORS
Lottery donations

In Addition : Studio Mandy Guerin, Wearable Art Point
7

LALE NETWORKING

FEATURE: MONISHA KAR; PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF SHADI KAFAIELOTFI

THE LEADER IN THE FIELD

When Shadi Kafaielotfi moved to Turkey from Iran, she started sowing the seeds
for her own company. Now, two and a half years later, she has a thriving business
selling fertilizer to Iranian farmers

I

t was 2015 and Shadi Kafaielotfi was in transition. She and
her husband had decided to relocate from Iran to Turkey.
She had gone to the top university in Iran, received a
masters degree in agriculture engineering, and over a period
of nine years, had built her career in the sector. Naturally such
a big shift was met with hesitation; “I knew no Turkish, had
no work permit, what could I do?” Kafaielotfi recalled. She
assessed her background, what she knew and where she
had an edge – and she determined she could leverage her
relationships in Turkey and Iran and open her own business.
Since she knew the Iranian agricultural market well, as well
as the rules and regulations, she decided to incorporate her
business in Iran. With the help of an old friend who invested
her money as shareholder in the business, Kafaielotfi started
providing services from Turkey to her Iranian customers.
Currently, her business – Shali Zarin Bahar – focuses on
selling Turkish-manufactured mineral, chemical and organic
fertilizer for large-scale commercial agriculture, including
greenhouses and orchards. It is sold to wholesalers who then
sell them directly to farmers in Iran.
Setting up in Iran and operating out of Turkey has proved
advantageous on several fronts. Knowing the language,

8

LALE NETWORKING
culture, rules and regulations in Iran makes it easier to import
and operate into the country. And, since Turkey and Iran
share a border, it makes transport cost-effective and relatively
quick in comparison to retailers from the EU. In addition, she
can supply high-quality product at a cheaper rate.
Since she is managing her business virtually, it is critical that
she builds and develops relationships with her producers,
distributors and farmers, so she travels often to Antalya to
visit the fertilizer manufacturer, and she travels to Iran every
two months for 10 days. When discussing how she manages
her business remotely, Kafaielotfi says “I am able to grow the
business, but it is difficult – if I was in Iran, I could grow the
business at a much faster rate”.
“I keep close contact with customers, and my team meets
with customers to ask what they need — so there is
continuous feedback. We have an engineer check up on
the farmers, and give them a full nutrition program for a
season according to, their climate, the plants they grow, and
storage – so we teach them how to use the fertilizer in the
most efficient way by understanding the technical elements
involved”, Kafaielotfi noted. This hands-on education and
high-touch service allows the farmer to become more familiar
with her company’s brand and products. “In more traditional
areas, farmers keep the bag of the product they use, and
they may go into the shop or to the distributor and ask for the
specific item according to the bag’s packaging, so we make
sure that we keep the product packaging quality high”, she
added.

restrictions on water-intensive crops such as corn. This
means less cultivation in certain areas, lower yields, and that
affects business. This also meant that farming shifted to less
water-resistant crops.
Another important aspect to her business is working with
reliable and trustworthy manufacturers and customers and
establishing a good working relationship with them. When
she first started her business, she traveled around Turkey
and met different producers to get to know their product and
facilities. At the same time, she started to look for Iranian
customers. She was able to get samples of different products
and got her customers to agree to use them, and from there
her business grew. Feedback up and down the chain is key to
keeping the relationships healthy — whether it is working with
the producer to tweak a formulation, or keeping the farmer’s
expectations in check or making sure that the distributors
are promoting her products to potential customers. In the
two years that she has been running the business, she
can proudly say that she has had no complaints about her
product quality.
Looking ahead, she plans to start adding seed sales to her
product mix. While fertilizer is an optional product, all Iranian
farmers are required to buy seed, and they buy in cash, so
that will potentially have a positive effect on her cash flow,
and help her business continue to flourish.

Shadi Kafaielotfi recently joined the IWI board as the
Business Networking Coordinator. You can meet her at one
of our upcoming events

Just as important as the relationships with the end users,
is developing relationships with the wholesalers. Kafaielotfi
makes sure that wholesalers also know her company and
the brand so that they can promote it to farmers as well.
To that end, she invites wholesalers to conferences and
exhibitions to network and to enjoy some down-time.
As with any start-up, there are inherent challenges; there was
initial resistance from her husband and colleagues, namely
because they thought she would have trouble managing
operations from afar. Competition is particularly stiff in this
sector, and then you have to account for smugglers who
bring in product illegally and sell it for less than market prices.
Although the numbers of women working in the agricultural
sector in Turkey and Iran is on the rise, it can still be difficult
to contend in a male-dominated industry. Whereas men could
take many of these things for granted, some of the ways in
which Kafaielotfi builds credibility is wearing clothing suitable
for the field — demonstrating that she doesn’t mind getting
muddy or dirty; and talking to her customers in language they
understand —which also includes being up-to-date on the
latest industry research and trends.
Despite these issues, Kafaielotfi and her business prevail.
She credits her hard work, focus and learning orientation as
keys to her success. Especially because she is managing her
business from Turkey, strategic planning as well as tactical
day-to-day planning is vital. She has a home office which
allows her the space and flexibility to run the business and
also attend to personal matters, but she acknowledges
that she has to be careful not to let distractions hijack her
efforts. In the agriculture industry, when everything is highly
dependent on the seasons and weather, and being able to
anticipate climate changes, being on time with shipments
and warehousing is key, as well as being able to pivot
quickly. Recently in Iran, there has been a lack of rain and
loss of water resources, therefore, the government placed

Çöpüne Sahip Çık is on a mission to encourage citizens and institutions to foster a cleaner
environment in Turkey. Wendy Chan reports
“Bin your waste, keep our environment clean”. This is the
tagline for Çöpüne Sahip Çık Vakfı, or the Mind Your Waste
Foundation in English, a civil society organisation established
in 2015 to help foster a cleaner environment in Turkey.

USING A RANGE OF MEDIA TO REACH THE
PUBLIC

Ç

Habits are often difficult to change though, so Çöpüne
Sahip Çık is using a range of media to reach people across
the country. Their methods include public service ads on
television, billboard posters at bus and ferry stations, and
social media campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
There are also partnerships with municipalities, schools,
universities and other stakeholders to promote positive
change.

Instead, Çöpüne Sahip Çık focuses on putting together pilot
projects that are simple and easily replicated. For example,
they make their anti-littering signage and billboard messaging
available for anyone to print and post from their website.

While Çöpüne Sahip Çık believes it is important to use a
range of media to reach a wide audience of people, lately
it has been targeting social media platforms. Currently, the
organisation’s Facebook page has over 31,000 followers,
and pictures and videos are regularly posted online through
YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Çöpüne Sahip
Çık’s own website.

öpüne Sahip Çık’s objective is to change behaviours
around waste disposal by raising awareness about
the negative impact of littering to our shared environment,
drawing attention to the importance of minimizing waste,
as well as promoting recycling in Turkey. The organisation
does not get involved with physically collecting garbage or
coordinating recycling programmes.

As well, recently in Üsküdar municipality the organisation
developed a game to curb the littering of cigarette butts.
Bins to collect the cigarette butts were placed around the
municipality in prominent locations. The bins themselves had
a question asking people what they thought was the most
recycled type of items, and the bin was segmented with
receptacles under each choice. People were encouraged,
in a fun and creative way, to vote with their cigarette butts
by putting them into the receptacle under the answer they
chose.

In addition, Çöpüne Sahip Çık is making use of innovative
new Turkish start-up technologies. For example, in 2017
Çöpüne Sahip Çık released an upbeat jingle about binning
waste. Through Scorp, a popular new tech start-up in Turkey
that lets users upload 15-second videos on any topic,
Çöpüne Sahip Çık launched a campaign that resulted in
over 400 video submissions from people singing their own
versions of the catchy jingle.

UNDERSTANDING MOTIVATIONS

A priority of Çöpüne Sahip Çık is to identify the underlying

10

LALE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

motivations of people when they litter as well as some of
the challenges encountered by municipalities in collecting
garbage. To do so, Çöpüne Sahip Çık speaks regularly with
garbage collection professionals and surveys the public for
their perspectives. Also, to quickly canvas feedback, Çöpüne
Sahip Çık is using a new online polling platform developed in
Turkey called Poltio.com to learn about what drives people’s
habits.
Motivations are diverse. For some people, lack of convenient
garbage bins immediately around them results in tossing of
waste on the ground. Others feel that they would be depriving
sanitation workers from employment if they do not litter. Still
others feel that because they pay taxes, they are entitled to
do as they wish.
What’s more, Çöpüne Sahip Çık has learned that there is a
strong socio-psychological effect when it comes to littering;
people are apt to follow the habits and examples of others
around them. If there is a pile of garbage sitting next to a
tree on the street, for instance, other people will place their
garbage there as well.

TOWARDS A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT FOR
EVERYONE

Using insights from surveys and prior projects, Çöpüne Sahip Çık is
developing awareness campaigns that use positive messaging and
employ games and competitions as tools to engage the public.
While raising awareness is important for changing behaviour,
government regulations will also help. New legislation in
Turkey is being developed to combat the negative effect of
plastic bags on the environment; because
plastic bags take a very long time to
decompose, they create eyesores when
discarded and pose a threat to sea life
when they get into waterways.
According to pending new legislation in
Turkey, all retail stores will be required to
sell plastic bags to customers, rather than
give them away for free, to encourage the
public to use and discard fewer plastics.
And to complement this initiative, Çöpüne
Sahip Çık is developing a range of
reusable tote bags in various sizes to help
people prepare for the upcoming changes.
As well, government sponsored initiatives
will soon bring additional recycling and
used battery collection to neighbourhood
schools, markets, and shopping malls to
make it easier for the public to access
collection points.
By working together with public and
private institutions, using a diverse range
of offline and online tools, Çöpüne Sahip
Çık is playing an important role in raising
awareness and influencing government
policy to foster a cleaner environment for
everyone to enjoy.

But this peer-influenced behaviour indicates there is much to be
optimistic about as well. Instilling good habits around waste in
a few people can act as the catalyst to changing the behaviour
of their friends, family, and neighbours. And this is how Çöpüne
Sahip Çık hopes to effect wider societal change.

We’re introducing a multi-part series
on sustainability this year. Haro
Cumbuysan helps define it for us and
take action

I

t’s a new year, it’s a new beginning!
When we look back in December, will
we be satisfied with what we’ve done
to make 2018 a good year? There are
certainly too many variables that are not
within our control; but does that mean
pushing hard on the variables that we
do control won’t have any impact? I
guess it depends… Mainly, it depends
on how many other people are pushing
in the same direction. These days, we
hear a lot of talk about sustainability.
It feels that a critical mass is forming
that’s already taking action on that front,
or is ready to do so. And it so happens
that this is a column on sustainability.
So, guess what? I’ll suggest that, while
it’s still early in the year, we all start
making some changes in our lives to
promote sustainability, and encourage
others around us to do the same. We
may actually get somewhere by the end
of the year; even if we don’t solve all

12

the issues around the subject, we may
see that we’ve the ability to move the
needle.
But first, we need to discuss what
we mean by sustainability. The good
news is that we don’t necessarily
need to agree on a single definition;
we may have different interpretations
of the general concept. In my view,
sustainability is not about maintaining
the status quo forever. But it’s about
accepting the fact that the environment
is not a free resource that we’ll be able
to use as we wish for ever and ever.
It’s about embracing the ethics that
being the most powerful creatures on
earth doesn’t give us — humans — the
right to abuse all other living beings,
and to cause many to go extinct before
even noticing their existence. It’s about
making choices now that don’t limit our
options in the future, or the options of
the next generations.
The difficulty is that we’re making
most of the choices in our everyday
lives without understanding their true

consequences. One reason for that is
because prices don’t reflect the real
cost and benefit of the goods and
services we consume. I know this is
a heavy subject, and I apologize for
dropping such a bombshell in the
middle of this peaceful column, but
I can’t start talking about tactics of
sustainability, such as Reduce/Reuse/
Recycle, before dwelling on why the
sustainability of our economic system is
questionable in the first place.
The one-word answer is: externalities.
Those who have studied Economics
would (maybe) remember this as a topic
covered in introductory textbooks in a
few pages under the heading Market
Failure, and treated as a term that
students should be familiar with, but
one that’s of no significant practical
importance. There’re two opposing
types of externalities: positive and
negative. When we choose to buy
locally grown vegetables, we get
fresh produce that’s harvested at the
right time, and delivered to us with
lower transportation costs and no

LALE SUSTAINABILITY
need for preservatives. Those are all
‘private’ benefits we receive that we’d
presumably be happy to pay for. There
are also positive externalities arising
from our choice: Lower CO2 emissions,
more income for the local economy,
job creation, richer social fabric as
producers and consumers live closer
together…These are ‘social’ benefits
that we may all welcome, but who will
pay for them?And as land and labour
are expensive around big cities, would
the private benefits alone be sufficient
to cover the price?Otherwise, some of
us may look for cheaper produce from
markets further away; and then we can’t
sustain the local growers.
Negative externalities are much more
common as they’re embedded in profit
maximizing mandate of businesses
in our capitalist societies. A fast food
chain tries to minimize its costs to be
able to make a profit while selling as
many burgers as possible. Its private
costs are the ingredients of the burger,
the packaging, the labour, and the
other typical expenses like rent, utilities,
depreciation, SG&A, etc. But who
pays for the social costs of reversing
the environmental damage caused by
the industrial livestock producers
where the beef is sourced from, or
providing healthcare to people with a
diet consisting of too many of those
burgers and fries, or cleaning up the
packaging that’s not compostable
and will survive for hundreds,
sometimes thousands, of years in a
landfill, or the social problems caused
by the poverty of its minimum-wage
earning workforce with no benefits?
Shifting those costs to society,
and expecting a portion of it to
be covered by current and next
generations of taxpayers, and the
rest to be paid as a loss of options to
choose from in the future, sounds unfair
to put it politely. However, maybe the
more untenable situation this restaurant
creates by not reflecting those social
costs in the price of its burgers is selling
too many of them.At the artificially low
price, the demand ends up significantly
higher than it’d be otherwise; we end
up stuffing ourselves with burgers
that’re bad for our health, bad for the
environment, bad for society, and bad
for future generations.
Basically, we’re overconsuming
products (and services) that have high
social cost relative to their price—the
exact opposite of what we should be
doing if we’re aiming for sustainability…
Externalities, presented as almost a
nuisance in mainstream Economics

textbooks--relatively easily curable
through bargaining or taxation--are
in fact, systemic and pervasive in
our market-driven societies. And the
price distortions they cause seriously
hinder our ability to make sustainable

learning centre, in the next issue of
this magazine, I’ll write about potential
ways of addressing externalities from
a business perspective. But from a
consumer perspective, I’d like to bring
this column to a close hoping that we’d
all start paying a bit more attention to
possible externalities caused by our
own choices. When taking a taxi or
booking a flight, buying out-of-season
tomatoes or another pair of designer
jeans, let’s consider what kind of
social costs and social benefits these
goods and services carry, and whether
the price makes sense when we take
those into account. In many cases,
we’ll realize that we (not only as the
decision-maker of our own ego, but
also as the representative of society at
large, the environment, and the future
generations) actually can’t afford those
purchases.

production and consumption decisions.
(The German-American economist
Karl William Kapp was one of the early
thinkers who wrote about this issue
over half a century ago, and Ecological
Economics as an active academic
field of research has been producing
analyses of related topics since the
1980s. Still, in our growth-obsessed,
consumerist societies, this notion that
we’re consuming in the wrong section
of the demand curve because of
incorrect prices hasn’t taken hold in the
mainstream thinking.)

Hopefully, that’d lead us to consume
fewer, but higher-quality products and
services—quality, of course, measured
by net private and social benefits.
(Maybe not too surprisingly, that’d
automatically address a primary goal in
typical sustainability discussions, which
is reducing waste…)

Based on my experience of running
a social enterprise in Istanbul called
EK BİÇ YE İÇ, which is an urban
farm/soup & salad bar/community

Let sustainability not become a
marketing buzzword, a hollowedout cliché used to greenwash profit
maximizing corporations. Once we
start seeing the externalities in our
choices, we can find the variables that
we can push to make sustainability an
attainable goal. And it certainly would
be a worthy effort.

13

LALE SUSTAINABILITY

FEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY: JODIE HARBURT

MANIFESTO FOR ONE
How do you initiate change? One step at a time. Jodie Harburt shares her journey about the power
of the individual to make a positive impact in protecting our environment for current and future
generations

I

remember, when I was 12, looking up at the black, night sky scattered with stars and being overwhelmed by the hugeness of
everything and my absolute insignificance. It was scary at the time but also exhilarating. Looking to the future now prompts
a similar feeling, but I came to realise that our isolation in space is what connects and unifies us as a species and with our
planet.
I'm bringing together ideas that I find scattered around and I'm trying to present them in accessible ways. We are
all bombarded with data through dialogue with friends and colleagues and through news and social media to the point that it
becomes challenging to differentiate fact from fiction and pinpoint the bias that we are subjected to. I've also found that it's
hard to wade through endless discourse to find that which does more than just underline our predicament and point blame.
Many articles resonate with powerful truths but after reading I often find myself simply asking... now what?
This seems to me to be the elementary question and one, that if properly answered, will dictate the nature of our future.
Here are some of the questions I have pondered upon:
Whose job is it to fix stuff?
For many people in the world informed debate and choice
are inaccessible luxuries so I believe it is the responsibility
of the rest of us to create a positive network that extends
beyond our familiar boundaries. When we do something
(rather than just talk about it) we become a part of a solution
and inspire others far and wide. It's not possible for one
person or one solution to cure the ills of our beautiful world,
but each one of us can carry a tiny bit of responsibility, and
in this we can initiate change. This is our job; one of existing
and of ongoing conscious evolution. Being useful and
nurturing is an antidote to the poison of hopelessness and
together we are a Multitude of Ones.
Conscious Evolution may sound farfetched, but it is small,
accumulative actions that affect how we evolve. Our reality is
made up of what we perceive, imagine, think about and do.
Therefore, we can make a conscious decision about how our
future will look.
​
So, are you saying that we have to create the future
ourselves?
Ordinary people implement whatever the future holds, yet
most feel disenfranchised from any kind of solution and
worse still, we feel disassociated from the problems that
our very actions (or lack of) are inadvertently causing, we
choose ignorance rather than enlightenment and we are in
the dark about the impact of even the most mundane daily
choices we make. We assume that we are powerless and we
believe we have the right to live as best we can within the
parameters of our distorted realities. The politicians, the rich,
the big business and the academics are often too elevated or
self-serving to see the little picture and we can't see that we
are contributors to the big picture.
Yet it is our daily choices to buy, consume, remain in passive
stance or our misguided negative actions that perpetuate the
situation that has become unsustainable and has long been
intolerable for many (habitats, creatures and people alike).
Improvement is entirely reliant upon our will and actions.
How can we deal with something so big?​
Facing and dealing with reality is often excruciatingly painful,
but our tendency to become overburdened by the enormity of

14

issues can be counteracted by chipping away at things from
the bottom, that is not to say that the we should not swoop
down from above and extinguish disaster or provide relief if it
is within our capability, but let us not desist from each of us
doing the best we can on any scale.
If each person implements a list of things that he or she can
do, I call it a 'Manifesto for One', the accumulation will add
up to something big. Every human has the capacity to
be proactive today.
What kind of 'action' are we talking about? Does it have
a name, leader or affiliations?
Imagine a self-compiled rule book that we can make up
to suit ourselves. When we gain a sense of alignment and
satisfaction with the actions that emerge through our own
evolving manifesto we will become a part of the true and
defining emergent, we won't need a leader and we can merge
with bigger parallel groups.

LALE SUSTAINABILITY

Each one of us can be affiliated with others yet retain
individual definition and dynamic, never losing identity and
free choice. A new paradigm with no name, no owner, no
book and no rules, a multitude of singularly designed yet
multilaterally instigated actions that allow for infinite diversity
and evolution.
Can this be worldwide?​
Historic and enduring disputes cripple dialogue at the outset.
By starting with our own individual actions, we negate
prejudice and proceed without hitting the impassable wall of
irreconcilable stories. We are each the product of the culture
that we and our ancestors have absorbed, but we can decide
what will define us from now on through the creation of new
stories.
The very fact that we walk upon the same world is unity
enough and mutual regard for each other means the scale of
any one of our actions is automatically worldwide. It is within
our ability to share our individual intent and to create a huge
wave of inspired action.​​
Countless success stories exist all over the world, humans
doing jobs of magnitude on every scale, small initiatives,
international summits and acts of bravery, sacrifice, charity,
compassion and collaboration; the media thrives upon
and the human mind is stimulated by bad news, but there
is a whole lot of good news that needs to be headlined
and emulated.
War is waged upon threats to the present system
using multibillion-dollar social media attacks and crippling
misinformation. Polarization is a weapon of choice. The good
news is that we are not a group, we can't be divided seeing
as we don't affiliate with each other specifically, there are
no bonds or handshakes, no flags or titles, nothing links us
except the fact that we will have all stopped being passive.
Is humankind capable of this?
Collaboration and compassion are at our core and we
can learn to allow our nurturance capability to take
front stage. There is a presiding idea that we are selfish,
individualistic and the worst thing that ever happened to
our world, indeed it is easy to despair, but we were born
dependent and our societies evolved in a permanent state
of mutual dependence and benefit. With the essential
mechanism of nurturance culture our actions will prove that
we can do so much better.

Deep levels of invested interest defy progress and for many
it seems that the first step should be radical castration
of the elite, the corporations and the political bodies that
exploit the world’s people, natural resources and each other.
However, such an approach will not facilitate cooperation
or pave the way to a healthy result. We have to be patient
yet proactive, believing in the possibilities and in the power
shift that could emerge.
Are we all responsible?
Let's all look in the mirror and rephrase some questions that
we ask:
• What is the world coming to? = What
am I doing to help the world?
• Why are they doing this? = What
am I doing that is harmful?
• Don't they know better? = Don't I know better?
• Why are they (governments, corporations
etc) so greedy, corrupt and stupid? = Is my
behaviour greedy, corrupt or stupid?
• Who really cares about anything anymore? = Do I care?
It's hard to face up to one’s own hypocrisy, but we must be
kind even when blaming ourselves and then try and shake
off our fear, repression and inertia by empowering ourselves
through action.
How can good emerge from the mess we are in?​
There are 7.6 billion of us. Imagine if we all just did one less
crappy thing and did one more good thing today that's a
whole lot of worldwide improvement. Call me over simplistic
if you will, but there is something (at least one thing) that we
can each decide to do and in the very doing we can become
part of the cure.
Of course, if only one of us pulls his/her weight than the
balance won't be tipped, (there are already many people
doing so), but if enough of us feel inspired enough to put in
some effort we will be motivated by each other, connected
and more importantly our actions will promote change
in every realm. ​
Do we have to make changes? Will this make us happy?
Various forms of change are imminent and we don't know
if they'll come hard, fast and radically, or whether there will
be slow transitions. We have the option to either wait it out
and let it hit us any which way it comes, or we can become
an active part of the change process, we can help define it

15

LALE SUSTAINABILITY
while figuring out how to navigate it and we will have
given ourselves a chance to adapt. Improvement and
empowerment are incentive and gratification. As the future
unfolds the sense of belonging and useful contribution will
grow exponentially. Positive results will be shared (as
the success of the whole, not the lone achievement of
inaccessible icons) and action points will overlap creating
collaboration which will propagate the seeds to further
success and happiness.

What is the real goal here?
To enable a nurtured, worldwide society to evolve in a
conscious, self-initiating, empowering and sustainable
manner. Meaning this: We look after each other, we take care
of the world and we live long and prosper as a species. And
we have fun while we are doing it. (And if the apocalypse
comes we go down with dignity knowing we gave it our best
shot!)
What should be the essence of any Manifesto for One?
Everyone has his/her own priorities and inspiration. However
the Basic Rights can be considered a backbone to the infinite
contributions that are possible. These do NOT just belong
to humans; they are the rights of every inhabitant upon the
Earth and of the Earth itself: Shelter (protection from elements
and in the case of the Earth protection from humans).
Water (clean). Food (real food). Safety (freedom from war,
exploitation, discrimination, oppression)
It’s necessary to research the connections; between
someone’s right to clean water being denied and your use of
disposable plastic bags for example.
That sounds very hard to achieve! Where do we start?
A good starting point is to review one of our most powerful
tools: Consumerism. We can take control of what we buy and
how much we spend. It's a major turning of the tide when we
take consumerism and make it ours (after it has been used to
hold us captive and to benefit only the few). Our conscious
choices regarding what we do or do not consume can
become our power.
What's wrong with what we are consuming?
The words ‘need’ and ‘wealth’ are most ambiguously used.
The common understanding is that anything you ‘want’
is something you ‘need’ and that owning lots of property,
money and stuff makes you ‘wealthy’. The decades of
brain washing will take time to eradicate and for our poor
half poisoned and glutted out consumer selves to wise up.
Irrational and ignorant spending creates waste, obesity and
severe detrimental effect on the habitat. We have no right
to allow ignorance to be an excuse anymore. Intelligent and
informed choices on everything from cosmetics and cleaning
products, to garment and electronics will free us from
this most toxic of our obsessions and is a pivot point in the
history of humankind and this planet. The words ‘wealth’ and
‘need’ will have been reconceptualised.

But what can I do? I mean I'm broke/ stressed/ over
worked/ under-qualified.... and what is the point while
everyone else does what they like?
Once we drop the excuses each of us can decide what
we can do. It's not hard to shop sensibly, avoid creating
waste and to learn about the world from other's view points
when you try. ​You might feel alone to start with but people
are inclined to follow good example so we should be loud
enough to spread the word.
What if I have a great, original idea and everyone copies
it?
Then wow! Be proud, you are the creator of the new emerging
trend in human behaviour, make sure it’s something you
are deeply proud of and enjoy watching it grow.

16

So, enough talk and on to the action!
Below is a list of some possible 'Manifesto for One' Action
Points that are at least partially achievable here in Turkey. If
you want to join me in being One of a Multitude then pick
at least one from the Action Prep section and one from the
Action Points section, but do more if you can. Add new
Action Points over time and maintain them.

ACTION POINTS
​Food
• Stop buying any palm oil products. (learn
why palm oil is top of this list!)
• Make your own: Food, peanut butter,
cakes, cookies.... and share
• Stop or limit eating beef (and all red
meat) especially imported
• Buy green/ free trade/free range/organic,
seasonal and preferably local fruit and
vegetables, eggs, milk, chicken etc
• Stop/limit buying sugar (it is one of the worst offenders
for loss of biodiversity and habitat destruction)
• Stop eating fast, packaged, processed foods.
• Create edible garden (even in urban settings)
Packaging and products
• Avoid all plastic (bottled water, packaging)
Use reusable shopping bags.
• Support businesses that don't use packaging
• Only buy ecological cleaning products
(or learn how to make your own)
• Don't buy anything that's wrapped in non-reusable
packaging (hand soaps and shampoo included)
Find stuff you can buy in bulk or that refills or
is wrapped in paper (or make your own)
Recycling and waste
• Give away and upcycle everything not needed:
furniture, books, clothes, electronics, kitchen ware...
• Fix stuff rather than chuck stuff
• Don't use disposable plates, straws etc. Refuse
the straw at the restaurant (you really need a
straw?!) Tell a server in a restaurant that you don't
want the straw in advance and say it loudly.
• Recycle along with the local initiatives
and help instigate more
Energy
• Wear a sweater in the house rather
than turn the heat up.
• Use public transport. Bicycle and walk
• Share car rides and shopping trips (and bulk
buy with neighbours to minimize packaging)
• Buy an electric car (when the infrastructure
is here in Turkey and you win the lottery)
• Limit international travel or flights in general (This
is a tough one for us foreigners living abroad)
• If you are a scientist develop an ecologically
sound airplane fuel (please!)
• Minimize electric and water consumption
(retro fit grey water usage system, consider a
composting toilet) Install solar or wind turbine,
consider sharing within the community

Teach Kids and Adults
• That they don't need an egg surprise or a new
toy or another pointless wrapped thing
• How to grow real food, even just one
tomato plant on a balcony.
• To consume responsibly and to
nurture - set the example.
• To not compete against but to
collaborate with their friends.
• People don't want to be lectured, but they
might listen if making a small change has made
you happier/healthier/more productive etc
Nature
• Develop an urban garden and plant
pollinators so bees hang out
• Bicycle or walk in nature often
Money
• Donate to, create or join a good initiative
• Only buy what you 'need'
• Spend on quality organic living
and shared experiences
Specific skill based action points
• Use career and skills to good use for your community
and beyond.
Activism
• Sign campaigns and join or start
activities that promote change
• Use social media to share this or
any thing that inspires you
• Do volunteer work and collaborative enterprise.
Sharing:
• If you bake for example, share with your neighbours
• Share garden produce with neighbours and
encourage them to plant edible gardens
• Share positive energy.
• Become actively involved with anyone
who shares the Manifesto for One idea!

And many more possibilities that are yours to manifest; you
can copy or adapt these or invent your own.
Maintain any of the Action Points you choose indefinitely,
they should not be short lived but become a lifestyle. Have
long term ambitions too, but don't let future intentions delay
starting something today.

Tiny drops in the ocean? .... "It is the drops
that make the lake"
(Translated from a Turkish proverb - "Damlaya, damlaya göl
olur")
I hope you feel inspired to go off and make a manifesto for
yourself. It really makes you think and wonder about what
you can do when you write it all down. Let it grow and shine
out of you.
I'd love to hear how it goes.
Jodie Harburt
* www.multitudeofones.com
www.facebook.com/multitudeofones/

f you follow the Bosphorus to its northernmost European
point, just as it starts to curve west towards the Black Sea,
you’ll happen upon the Sarıyer district. The Photo Club
of Istanbul spent a day exploring the coast and back streets
starting from the Sarıyer Iskele.
The name of the district has evolved over time; from Simas
to Skletrinas, later to Mezarburnu, Altınyer, Sarıyar and finally
arriving at Sarıyer. The first name ‘Simas’ is known to mean
‘Holy Mother’ however it is also known as ‘Blessed Water’
according to some sources.
According to legend, since gold and copper was mined in the
area for years, it gave the cliffs a yellow appearance around
the Maden and Şifa Suyu districts. Another legend says the
name Sarıyer is taken from a person name Sarıbaba whose
tomb is in the area.
Sarıyer's Bosphorus villages, backed by steep hills, were
once rural fishing communities. They later became retreats for
the city's wealthy. In the Ottoman period the sultans came to
these villages for picnics and excursions. During the 18th and
19th centuries, the coast was lined with summer residences
of the wealthy foreign traders of Pera and Galata. Many
foreign embassies built summer residences in this period.
Since the construction of the coast road, these villages, and
increasingly the hillsides behind them, house many expensive
villas owned by İstanbul's rich businessmen, actors and
musicians, attracted by the coastline and the lush forest
behind.
As with many of the villages along the Bosphorus, the coast
road running through Sarıyer is lined with fish restaurants of
all kinds, ranging from the most elegant to equally delicious
small restaurants, many of which were formerly housed in
boats moored by the sea wall.

18

LALE NEIGHBOURHOOD

19

LALE NEIGHBOURHOOD

20

LALE NEIGHBOURHOOD

21

WELLNESS
LALE CITY

FEATURE: IRENE DRAISMA; PHOTOGRAPHY: PIXABAY

CHANGING HABITS

Changing habits can be tough, and Irene Draisma tells us how to break the bad habit loop and
make positive behaviours a reality

N

aturally, the topic of changing habits is one of the
most popular in psychology because it is about
behaviour itself â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the cause, interactions with other
people and the environment, our thought processes and the
consequences of our behaviour.
Many of the clients that have come to me were suffering from
their own behavioural issues. Sometimes they were totally
unaware of them, sometimes they knew quite well what they
had to change in order to feel better, but were not able to
change their behaviour. Mostly this was because they were
doing things in a way, they did for many years. So it became
very tough/persistent behaviour not susceptive for change.
On the other hand, they did not know the cause and triggers
of the behaviour, which I think are necessary ingredients for
change. Most people intrinsically did not want to change,
because the positive effects of the behaviour outweighed
the negative ones, so the change would be seen as hard and
unattractive. And most people were unable to make a clear
plan which included incremental steps and actions to take.
Since the new year is here, I will focus on changing habits,
as I have already heard many people talking about changes
they want to make. And, as I know from experience, many
changes will not be made or adhered to. I hope I can offer
some insight how you can make the change and make it
stick. The transition period between the end of one year
and the beginning of the next is always a good moment for
reflection and preparation for change.
Smoking; Drinking less alcohol; Doing more exercise; Eating
more healthily; spending less time on electronical devices;
waking up late, always running late, interrupting others,
losing temper, procrastination, etc. These are just some of the
behaviours many people want to change.

22

Mostly people tend to focus on the bad behaviour itself;
they know it is not good and they need to stop it. They are
vulnerable to diets, electronic cigarettes, or other things that
companies exploit and capitalize on. But the solution lays in
the cause. We have to clearly understand, what are we doing,
why and what triggers are involved. We have to write this
down before we take the next step.
And: We make a plan.
Every person is different, and for everyone there is a unique
approach, so create your own solution
A habit stays a habit because it was structured in the brain,
there is a whole neural pathway in the older parts of the
brain that are responsible for automatic behaviour. And it is
triggered by our thoughts, feelings and the environment.
So, to make our plan we need to know what these thoughts
and feelings are. Most of our behaviour leads to (short term
and sometimes even long term) reward. If we know this
reward, we might be able to search for other solutions to gain
this reward.
Also, we need to look closely at the triggers. These are not
the cause, but circumstances, that feed the behaviour, as
being tired, feeling hungry, etc.
If we have clarity on all of this information, we can take the
necessary steps that lead to other behaviour modification.
Personally, I would recommend taking even one more step
in between each step you outlined, because I believe in a
holistic approach. This step is also nice for the rest of your
life.

LALE WELLNESS
Ask yourself the following questions:
• Who am I?
• What do I expect from life?
• What kind of person do I want to be
and what is my main goal in life?

If these questions drive you crazy, please skip them!
However, I think they make you more aware of your
motivations and your goals in life. And, the new behaviour
should fit within your whole philosophy.
For example: My highest goal is to be a super woman who
inspires others and makes them aware, so that they treat
themselves, others and the world in a better way. What is a
superwoman to me?
A super woman is a wise woman, who has knowledge
about different topics, is experienced, had self-respect
and knows what she wants. She is active, healthy, curious,
inspiring, creative, a little crazy, warm, full of love, spicy and
independent.
In order to reach this state, I should wake up early, eat
healthy, do sports, visit friends and family and search for a
payed job. Now that I have identified the major categories
within the overall goal, I then have to break them down into
much smaller and specific steps.
For example: I want to be fit and healthy. I would then
formulate smaller goals such as: I will eat healthy food and
I will do sports. I would define them even more discretely
and indicate that I would buy only healthy food and cook on
Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As far as doing more sport, I
would go to a specific sports program on Tuesday, Thursday
and Saturday. It is useful to make small steps, measure the
positive behaviour and directly reward yourself (this could be
a compliment to yourself).
Now let’s look at the reasons for not doing the above;
being tired; not wanting to miss social; having no structure.
Whatever the reasons are that prevent you from taking the
necessary steps towards building positive behaviour, search

for solutions, such as adhering to a set sleep routine, and
planning or integrating social activities into your meal prep or
sports activities.
As far as addressing triggers, you need to eradicate them
after you understand and document them. For example, if
you feel hungry, plan to eat regularly and pack little snacks.
You can create new, positive reinforcements, such as playing
nice music to help you wake up early, or place visual triggers
like a yoga mat within your view. Open windows, surround
yourself with plants, or place candles around the house if
your goal is to relax more often. Block the elevator to your
apartment and put good walking shoes in front of the door if
your goal is to be more fit.
Above all, you can stimulate your new or true behaviour
by giving yourself extra reinforcements after success. You
can reward yourself with a good book, a movie, a sauna or
massage. Do not reward yourself with the behaviour you
want to get rid of! And the last important thing is to keep on.
The longer you are practising a kind of behaviour, the more
the path of neurons will be shaped in a functional way, what
makes the new behaviour automatic.
There might be people who are
able to just change their bad
habits at once. But most people
do not.
As you see it takes time to be
aware of who you are and who
you really want to be(come).
As a psychologist, I think you
can learn from experience and
trial and error, but if you spend
conscious time on your thoughts
and behaviour, you can have
a better understanding of the
processes and this gives you
more power to change!

23

LALE FITNESS

FEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY: AISLYN GRIFFITH

COMMIT TO BE FIT
A new year means new resolutions, and one of the most common is to focus on fitness. Aislyn
Griffith tells us how to kickstart an exercise routine
After a long day at work and a traffic nightmare
commute from Beykoz to Beşiktaş, lacing up
my running shoes is not exactly at the top of my
evening wish list. Where to look for motivation….
Eyes closed, visualize….the Bosphorus Bridge,
as the lights reflect off of the wet pavement. Just
after the 7K mark. That’s when the runner’s high
hits! Ok, I can do this. So tired. Just need to hit
my pace and it’s smooth sailing from there.

T

hat was how most weeknight evenings went for me. Life
in Istanbul is stressful, to say the very least, especially
as a foreign woman. Every day we battle the crowds,
traffic, and urban madness that is living in a huge city. We’ll
take anyway to unwind we can! But giving into alcohol or
junk food as a means to relax takes a harsh toll on health
and can actually make everything worse. That’s why I made
fitness a priority when I moved to this hectic wonderland over
nine years ago. A healthy body has a much better chance
to succeed that one feeling tired, sluggish, and with kilos
piling on. But how can we make fitness such a priority here?
And where? And what about language skills? And those
overpriced luxury gyms?! So many questions! Let’s break
them down into easy to manage chunks.
First, you are probably very tired after long working hours
and commuting in Istanbul’s infamous traffic. How can one
possibly consider exercising after that?! Or worse yet, get
up even earlier in the morning?! Did you know that you don’t
need to spend one-two hours per day in a gym to be fit?
Even smaller bits of exercise twice a day can give the same
benefits. I swear by High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).
This really gives you the most bang for your fitness buck.
Maximum effort, minimal time — great results! Completing a
15 or 20-minute HIIT in the morning, another in the evening a
couple of times a week can make a big difference.
Still, if that’s not your style and you DO enjoy longer workout
sessions, I find that visualizations and proper planning are the
keys to sticking to those routines. In my case as a distance
runner, visualizing my favourite city sight (the Bridge all lit
up as I pass under it) helped me get there. As for my energy
level, sure I was exhausted and that first kilometre would be
killer, but then came my stride and that endorphin rush! After
working out I always felt more relaxed and more energized.
Not to mention regular exercise can help improve sleep. A
good night sleep makes a huge difference! Keeping these
things in mind help me over that sluggish hump to get out the
door.
Ok, we’ve found the time and motivation. Now where to go?
Istanbul’s fitness sector is relatively new when compared
to Western countries, so in some cases it can be seen as
more of a luxury. The result is massive fitness centres luring
prospective customers in with hamam and spa services, Play
Station/Xbox game rooms, cafes, etc. The price tags can be
a bit shocking and thus unattractive for someone just looking

24

for a good workout. While these centres are more visible, they
aren’t the only option. Lots of neighbourhoods have small
local gyms that, while lacking the luxury offers, are more likely
to offer smaller memberships and maybe even a discount. It’s
worth a try to check them out and have a chat. Paying in cash
for big things such as fitness memberships almost always
comes with a discount.
Another great option, especially if finances are an issue, is
taking your workout outside. Istanbul is a major city but there
are still great places to get a good workout and fresh air!
Many neighbourhoods even have small exercise parks, that
while seemingly useless and confusing still can be modified
for things such as pull ups, tricep dips, push-ups, and
more. Do a search around your home or work to see what's
accessible at your preferred time of day. But before heading
out, ask around to make sure if a safe place. While there is
no guarantee that something can or can't happen, it's always
best to find out beforehand if it's a suitable area commonly
used for fitness. Some commonly used areas for fitness are
Belgrad Forest (Europe) Maçka Park (Europe), Bebek Seaside

LALE FITNESS
(Europe), anywhere along the seaside from Moda to Bostancı
(Asia), and Özgürlük Park (Asia).
Speaking of safety, if you plan to exercise outdoors, please
prepare yourself. Here are some helpful tips to ensure you're
being as safe as possible:
• Wear brightly coloured and/or reflective
clothing so cars can see you
• Let someone know you'll be outside
for an estimated amount of time
• Make sure your phone has a full battery charge
• Learn some key Turkish phrases to respond to any
unwanted behaviour or in case of emergency
• Have a few lira or an Istanbul Kart on you
should you need to get home fast
• If you listen to music, keep the volume low so
you can hear what's happening around you
• Unfortunately, people will stare. Use your best
judgement when dealing with these people. More often
than not (especially for runners) gazers will watch you
pass and nothing more. But if you feel uncomfortable
by any behaviour, seek help. If you suspect you may
be followed, duck into a bakal or shop and say you
just need to stay there a minute. Very often local
shop owners will be happy and willing to help

different sports and fitness options popping up. Each year
I notice more and more 5-10-15K races popping up around
the city, as well as bicycle tours. These come with little to no
entrance fee, a free t-shirt, and great community spirit! Try as
many as you can and you are likely to find your niche.
And remember to go easy on yourself starting out. Routines
aren’t made overnight. Some days you’ll be all-in, some days
you might not be in the mood. Be flexible around city issues
and people cancelling last minute. If you are truly too tired,
take a rest. But if you really try to stick to your new fitness
routine as best you can, then yavaş yavaş you’ll have a new
healthy lifestyle, and stronger stamina to face this wild expat
life!

My end mark is just up there. Oh man! I don’t want to stop
tonight! A few more steps and…..done. Deep breath. I feel
completely refreshed! İt’s like all that stress and frustration
from the day never even happened. These stretches are so
soothing. Now I’m ready for a hot shower, a light dinner, and
enjoying a peaceful evening at home. How wonderful to feel
so relaxed, at peace, and just plain GOOD in such a hectic
city.
And no need to go at any of this alone! Get some friends or
colleagues to join you. Not only will this increase your safety,
but having workout buddies will also keep you motivated
and accountable. If you need a buddy to vent about expat
frustrations, find another foreigner. If you are looking to
improve your Turkish language skills, having a native
speaker join you will give you time to practice plus keep
you motivated. Regardless of who you ask you join, having
workout friends can improve your health as well as broaden
your social circle in a healthier way than late night drinking.
For example, my Turkish improved the most when I joined
a gym with very few English speakers. I feel most confident
while working out, which means I am less shy about my
language skills with non-English speaking coaches and
friends.
The most important aspect of creating a regular fitness
routine is to find something you really enjoy. The more you
enjoy something, the more likely it is that you will stick with
it. We make enjoyable activities a top priority. Give everything
a try! Attend as many free trial sessions as you can. Social
media is a great place to find out what is going on. Following
fitness pages and people in your area will give you access to
all the events around town. Many are free to try, or you can
ask to just observe (if the chance of a sale is there, they are
likely to say yes). We live in such a diverse city with so many

BOOM CHIKA-BOOM!
One of the first athleisure lines in Turkey, Chikirina is
designed for life on the move. Caitlin Diebler talks
to the founders of this small business that is making
big waves in functional fashion

26

LALE INTERVIEW

S

itting on a chic, blue velvet couch at Soho House,
I spotted Janelle Berberoğlu with her phone on
the wooden table and MacBook nearby, while
simultaneously chatting with friends over coffee. By 11 in the
morning, the multitasker had already been to the gym and
finished a fair amount of work at Soho’s Allis Bar & Café, her
remote office of choice on Thursdays. “One of the values that
our brand encompasses is balance. The corporate grind and
nine-to-five at the office just isn’t our thing, but that doesn’t
mean we work less”.
Chikirina’s co-founder most certainly does not “work less”.
The mere 26-year-old is the brand’s manager, accountant,
designer, buyer, marketer, creative director and more.
“Starting out a small business, you have to wear every
hat”. But juggling a busy schedule and undertaking big
responsibilities isn’t new for Janelle. While studying at Santa
Clara University, she worked as a marketing director for a
fashion mobile app.

get our hands on available, high quality stock fabric was really
our push to start the business”.
A family partnership seems to be of benefit to the relatives.
Committed to reaching their business goals, the two rely on
one another for confidence and boldness. Their similarities
and loyalty to one another make it possible to take potential
risks and leaps they wouldn’t otherwise jump alone. “We’re
so lucky. It’s been fantastic. Our personalities are such a
match. We have a 10-year age gap but as cousins we grew
up together. What Fulya and I are able to do really well is, turn
into completely work people in the office. We focus and get
things done, then when we go out for lunch during the day
we can turn that work hat off and switch our mode, we’ll talk
about different things. We are true partners in every sense of
the word. Being like-minded makes us a successful team”.

In August 2013, the half-Turk moved to Istanbul to connect
with her heritage. “My father is Turkish. I spent every summer
growing up in Turkey, but I always came as a tourist. Upon
graduation, I was craving something authentic”. That first
year, Janelle worked at a Pilates studio, studied Turkish and
travelled. “I watched the market of Pilates and Yoga really
grow here, but I noticed there weren’t any local sportswear
brands. I just saw Nike, Adidas and other big international
companies”. As a true businesswoman would, Janelle saw
a consumer demand and provided a supply. “I decided
to partner with my cousin, Fulya (Müftüoğlu) and open up
a little boutique shop our Pilates studios. We imported
different brands from the states to see what would sell. We
got an idea of what women would buy here and what they
wouldn’t”. Janelle acted as the buyer and her Turkish cousin,
then fashion designer at Koton, worked as the consultant.
“Through the success of those boutiques, we saw that a local
active wear brand would really have great potential here”.
Go-getters from the start, the cousins ambitiously bought
plane tickets to Hong Kong to attend a trade show, an event
where various products and services are showcased. Hong
Kong was where the first stiches of their brand’s fabric
were sewn. “We met a manufacturer at the trade show
who happened to have stock fabric. Really high-quality
stock fabric, too. The manufacturer said if we wanted to
do something, they could produce a collection for us in six
months, which is unheard of. Normally when you go to create
a collection, you have to invest in the fabrics first, and it’s
also a much longer process. The fact that we could quickly

27

LALE INTERVIEW

As Janelle and I sipped our coffees, we discussed how
modern women aren’t just one thing. In today’s world, women
aim to juggle their personal life, social life, work life, family
life, and attempt to perform each sector of their lives at the
highest level. It’s that kind of woman, that is the inspiration for
the Chikirina brand. “We’re a brand built around the go-getter
woman. Our mantra is, ‘work hard, play hard’. As an active
wear brand, we prioritize health and fitness but recognize
women have so many other things going on in their day. Our
products are created to get women through every part of their
life”. Multifunctional apparel designed for life on the move,
is the motto of the company that recognizes women are on
the go now more than ever. From the studio to the street,
Chikirina markets an array of active wear: jackets, leggings,
sports bras and tank tops that are the perfect complement to
a busy day. The outfit combinations are practical enough for
your workout, and cute enough for a run to the bank or store.
Chikirina shines at designing athleisure threads, but this idea
of workout wear turned every day wear, isn’t an original notion
anymore. “I can truly say we were one of the first local sports
wear brands in Turkey. When we first started, I didn’t know of
anybody, now there are a few that have come up”. Voracious
innovators, Janelle and Fulya continue to revolutionize their
customers closets. “We started out with athletic apparel but
swim wear is now a part of our brand’s staple. We designed
sports bra inspired tops using swim fabrics but they still have
that supportive feeling of a bra. It’s an interesting concept
because it allows you to do so much with it. You can work out
in it, go to the beach and swim. Many of our styles are lingerie
influenced and you can even wear it for a night out; pair it
with a blazer or jacket on top. This concept is unique and
something that we will continue to build the brand around”.
The bodysuit trend is now signature to Chikirina as well.
“They’re basically one-piece swim suits that have the support
that you could do Pilates in it, but at the same time wear it
with jeans. Our ‘getaway one piece’ from the last collection

28

is reversible, one side black and one side print. I’ve seen
girls wearing the black side with jeans and sneakers and it’s
super cute. We’re continuing to evolve into a direction that’s
unique”.
Success hasn’t been attained without setback for the threeyear-old brand. Establishing a business as a foreigner proves
tough. “If I had advice, it would be to understand the system.
The market in Turkey is so different from the market in the
States. But you have curiosity on your side, Turkish people
are particularly curious about people and brands abroad”.
Janelle emphasized that confidence is key in starting a
small business. “That’s been my biggest lesson. You have to
have the confidence to push, push, push. Let your ego go
out the window as you pursue next steps. Put yourself out
there in uncomfortable situations. Also, don’t take rejection
personally. We created this brand as a reflection of ourselves
but you have to separate yourself from the business”.
The ambition of Chikirina is to enhance the modern woman’s
hustle. “We are a female run and operated business,
supporting women and supporting the mission of women”.
Janelle spoke of Chikirina with evident spirit. “Our customers
are versatile, go-getters, and have a vibrant glow to them
while balancing their way through life”. Successful businesses
are built from passion and authenticity and in the end, this
brand truly reflects the founders. As Chikirina’s declares, “I
am a woman. What is your superpower?
Shop Chikirina in their Teşvikiye showroom or visit their
website for other various locations throughout Istanbul and
Turkey. https://chikirina.com/.Chikirina recently launched on
Amazon U.S. with 2-day shipping, and have an upcoming
launch on U.K.’s asos.com in January.
Follow them on Instagram (@chikirina) and Facebook.

NATURALLY BEAUTIFUL
Previously, Cristina Negoita Çetinkaya shared her tips for using herbs and spices to enhance your
complexion. In this instalment, she shares even more do-it-yourself (DIY) recipes using everyday
products that you probably already have in your home

Before indulging in the latest miracle
cream that promises to maintain a
youthful glow, beware some of the
unsightly side effects. While many
other products that we use on a regular
basis are highly regulated for healthy
and safety, cosmetics and personal
care products often contain harmful
chemicals that can cause serious
health issues. The skin represents the
largest organ in the body and anything
applied on it is later absorbed into
the blood. we might want to be more
careful about what we use on our skin.
An inexpensive and safer alternative
can be found in homemade cosmetics.
Making our own beauty products gives
us control into the ingredients we use,
and at the same time, we can also take
pleasure and fun in the process!
The following recipes can be made
in your very own kitchen, with natural
ingredients readily found in local stores.

MAKE-UP REMOVER AND
TONER

The first DIY product is very simple
to make yet an effective make-up
remover that contains only two key
ingredients: olive oil and rose water.
These natural ingredients are used in
equal proportions. You can put the
make-up remover into a glass jar with a
lid, or spray nozzle, and apply it with a
cotton pad twice a day. Suitable for all
skin types, it gently helps remove make
up or impurities, leaving your face clean
and smooth.
After removing your make-up, the next
step is to apply a toner. You can make
your own rose toner at home. All you
have to do is to put a handful of rose
petals into water and leave it in the oven
on low until you notice the water turns
pink. Then you put it aside and when
cooled, you can pour it into a glass
bottle, keep it in the refrigerator, and
use it whenever you want.

EXFOLIATING FACIAL MASKS
The best exfoliating mask I have ever
used contains coffee grounds. So, in
the morning after drinking your Turkish
coffee, you can use the remaining
coffee grounds to exfoliate your skin. It
does wonders for your skin. Every time
I do this, my friends ask what I have
done with my skin to make it looks so
nice and healthy. In order to make this
facial mask you need one teaspoon of
coffee grounds, one teaspoon of honey
and one teaspoon of olive oil. Mix it
all together and then apply this paste
on a cleansed face, massage it gently
into your skin and neck in circles, then
rinse it with warm water. Now it is time
to apply your homemade moisturizer.
This facial mask can be applied once a
week. The coffee grounds clean pores
and remove dead skin cells.

MOISTURISING FACIAL
MASKS

Avocado contains fats that are
extremely hydrating for dry skin. You
can make an easy facial mask by mixing
half of an avocado with one spoon of
honey. If you have sensitive skin, you
can also add a little bit of yoghurt to this
mixture for a calming effect. If your skin
is very dry, you can add a few drops of
olive oil to this. Apply this paste on your
cleansed face and neck and leave it for
15 or 20 minutes. Rinse it with warm
water. Your skin will thank you! You will
notice that your skin becomes softer,
shinier and healthier.
Another facial mask for dry skin can
be made from one banana and two
teaspoons of honey. You mix these
ingredients and apply it on your face
and neck. If you have irritated or
sensitive skin, you can use natural
ingredients like pumpkin and honey.
You combine two teaspoons of mashed
pumpkin and half a teaspoon of honey.
Apply this mask on your face and
neck and keep it on for 10 minutes.
Afterwards, gently rinse your face with
warm water and apply your natural
moisturiser.

MOISTURISER

The following homemade product is
a moisturiser for normal to dry skin,
that goes deep to nourish your skin,
and helps decrease the appearance
of wrinkles. All you have to do is to
mix the following ingredients: two
teaspoons of coconut oil, the yolk of
one egg, one teaspoon of honey, and
one teaspoon of olive oil. After mixing
the ingredients you put the cream into a
glass jar and keep it in the refrigerator.
This homemade cream is best used at
night, before going to bed and should
be applied on a clean face.
There are many homemade beauty
products that you can make in the
comfort of your home. Not only can
they save you money, since you are in
control of the ingredients you add, you
can have some peace of mind knowing
what you are putting on your face and
body. Knowing your skin type and
sensitivities, you can research and find
the most appropriate combinations for
your skin.
While cosmetics help us enhance
our assets, beautiful skin starts with
nutrition and making healthy choices.
Pay attention to what you eat – both
in terms of quantity and combinations,
drink more water, and do at least 30
minutes of exercise each day to think
and stay positive!
Cristina Negoita Çetinkaya is a translator
and handmade artist with a focus on
painted fabric, ceramic and glass.
Originally from Bucharest, Romania, she
has been living in Turkey for the past six
years. In addition to focusing on healthy
living, she is passionate about film,
books, languages and travel
The content in this article is not
intended as a substitute for medical
counselling.
Consult your health care professional
prior to the start of any regimen to
determine if it is right for your needs

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FEATURE: KAREN VAN DRIE: PHOTOGRAPHY: MONICAFRITZPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

NOTES ON A FOREIGN COUNTRY :
AN AMERICAN ABROAD IN A POST-AMERICAN WORLD
Karen Van Drie reviews Istanbul expat Suzy
Hansen’s first book

T

here is something about American journalist Suzy
Hansen’s book that called out: this book must be
read immediately. As a librarian, I don’t often get
that feeling. New books come out all the time. But this
one was different. Suzy’s book gave me the same feeling
that I had when Ta-Nehisi Coates came out with his book
about a police shooting of an innocent man, entitled
Between the World and Me. Coates’ book went on to win
the National Book Award.
I knew this would be an important book laying out the
case for Americans to see their culture and country
anew, and to consider doing so immediately. America
engages the world as an empire -- yet Americans
themselves deny that as a repugnant idea, and therefore
haven’t learned enough about the people the empire can
and does impact. This can be dangerous for those on
the far flung corners of the empire’s reach.
For example, what was a journalist living in post 9-11
New York City to make of the proposed American
invasion of Iraq? Americans writing about the war
prided themselves on their objectivity and journalistic
standards, but what they hadn’t considered was that, in
the end, they were approaching Iraq with an American
mind.

30

The cover of Suzy Hansen’s first book
is a familiar view to Istanbul residents

LALE BOOKS
Suzy Hansen reading from her book
to Professional American Women in Istanbul (PAWI)
Photo by monicafritzphotography.com

‘What we didn’t know to ask was how we would be feeling
or acting if we knew Iraqis. Not ‘knew’ them as in calling an
Iraqi on the phone, but knew them as in their history, their
experience, their history and experience with the United
States. I do not remember,’ Suzy writes, ‘having a sense of
the Iraqi people, of an Iraqi family, of an Iraqi man, a normal
Iraqi man-a doctor or postman or a teacher, like someone
you grew up with. Even if I did, I am simply not sure my brain
would have known to test itself with the potential horrors
that might befall that man: if this person was ripped apart by
a cluster bomb, tortured in a prison, shot at an intersection
while driving, his brains blown apart, his leg torn from his
side, his wife and daughter and son screaming and crying in
pain, all because of your country’s military, your government,
and because of you. Empathy was infrastructurally
impossible….There simply was no way for the American
mind, perhaps the white American mind, to imagine these
things--not the horror, and not the responsibility--and so we
did not.’
Coming to awareness that there was a provincialism in New
York City that precluded knowing and understanding more
of the world when it mattered, Suzy applied for a writing
fellowship from the Institute of Current World Affairs to live
and work overseas. She won it.
She had selected Turkey as a place to live, fascinated that her
favorite writer, James Baldwin, had chosen to live in Istanbul
in the 1960s. That an African-American gay man could feel
more at home in Near Eastern Istanbul during the 1960s than
the United States was a mystery that beckoned her to openly
explore her own ignorance.

During her first two years living in Turkey, she didn’t write
anything about it, aware that she was new to it, and needed
to spend time learning about her new home. ‘’I had been
approaching Turkey like some specimen I could place
under a microscope. This process is inherently hostile,
but I did not know that at the time. I automatically sized
up the country according to its successes and failures,
delighting exaggeratedly over the former as if I had the
lowest expectations, and feeling like an impatient teacher
about the latter, one who believed her student just needed
encouragement and guidance.’
The more she learned about Turkish culture, the more she
caught herself on her first reaction to a situation. She began
to question ideas she had about Turkey and where she got
them - ideas that were stereotypes - wait, aren’t progressives
supposed to be better than stereotyping?
Frustratingly, these stereotypes were just as present in her
mind as if she meant for them to be there, which she did not.
As an American reader, I found myself nodding knowingly
several times in agreement with the book, shocked and aware
that I often approached the country with many of the same
preconceived ideas. For local international expat readers,
reading Ms. Hansen’s experiences of the place we call home
makes for an especially interesting read because everyone
has their own experience they can compare with hers.
James Baldwin once called ‘white Americans the most
dangerous people on the planet.’ That’s why Suzy Hansen’s
book isn’t just a conversation by an American for Americans.
Global citizens everywhere could benefit from understanding

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LALE BOOKS
what could make people ‘the most dangerous people on the
planet.’ Why would Americans invade a place without really
knowing much about the peoples and cultures they were
invading?
James Baldwin felt the only thing that could change the cycle
of destruction white America approached black Americans
with was if white people learned to approach the other ‘with
love.’ How do you treat people you love? How do you treat
a nation you love? Could America in decline learn to start
treating other nations, nations America had an impact on
everyday, ‘with love?’ How would Americans have to change
their image of themselves if they did so? Could they change
their image of themselves if they did so?

These are the tantalizing questions Suzy Hansen profoundly
raised in her book Notes on a Foreign Country : An American
Abroad in a Post-American World. International expats may
want to consider exploring these questions by reading the
book, and then gifting the title to an American to read for
themselves.
Reviewer Karen Van Drie is an American librarian in Istanbul.
Her blog about living and working overseas is called ‘Empty
Nest Expat.’

Are you an educator?
Here’s Suzy’s advice
for helping grow
the next generation of writers:
‘Individual mentoring’ and ‘taking a young writer seriously’
is the fairy dust to inspire a new, young writer.
SUZY’S RECOMMENDED READS:
Islamist Mobilization in Turkey: A Study
in Vernacular Politics
(Studies in Modernity and National
Identity), 2002
By anthropologist Jenny White, an
expert on Turkish Studies
This book describes the rise of the AKP
through the eyes of ordinary people.

32

Honour Killing : Stories of Men Who
Killed 2008
By Ayşe Onal
This book contains interviews with
fathers and brothers
who perpetuated honour killings in
Turkey. Even within Turkey,
this phenomenon is not widely
understood.

The Age of Anger: A History of the
Present
2017
By Pankaj Mishra
Why is right-wing populism on the rise
all over the world?
Pankaj Mishra explains.

FEATURE: LESLEY TAHTAKILIÇ

LALE BOOKS

BOOK CLUB 1:

A TALE FOR THE TIME BEING

T

he aftermath of the disastrous tsunami which hit
Japan in 2011 is central to our November book,
A Tale for the Time Being by the JapaneseAmerican novelist Ruth Ozeki. Flotsam from the
tsunami is washing up on the beaches of Canada’s
Pacific coast. Ruth, a Japanese-American writer (The
novelist herself as a character within her own novel)
living on an offshore Canadian island, comes across
a package on a beach, which turns out to contain a
diary written by a Japanese teenager called Nao, as
well as the secret diary of a trainee kamikaze pilot. The
tale is told in chapters alternating between the diary
extracts of Nao, and Ruth’s description of her life on
the remote island, her finding of the package and her
growing obsession with Nao’s story.
So, there are two main parallel tales a) the fictional
story of Nao, her father and Jiko her grandmother
in Japan and b) the real-life story of Ruth and her
Canadian husband Oliver on the island. In addition,
there is a chapter containing the diary of the trainee
Kamikaze pilot, written in French for secrecy and
which Ruth arranges to have translated. Nao writes
her diary in American teenage English as she spent
the earlier years of her life with her family in California.
Although we usually spend most of the time at book
club meetings discussing the way that the book in
focus was written, in this case we mainly discussed
the thing about the book which struck us most –
Japanese culture. This amazed and even shocked
many of us, so strange and different was it to our own
cultural experience – the isolated life of Nao and her
family in a tiny flat in Tokyo and the awful bullying that
the Americanized Nao experienced in her new school
in Japan. Contrasted with this was the gentle lifestyle
of Nao’s old grandmother, Jiko, a Zen Buddhist nun.
Two of our English members at the meeting were able
to provide insights into Japanese culture from their
own experience, having actually lived in Japan.
This novel elicited widely different opinions from
‘fascinating’ to ‘boring’, and our Amazon-style
star ratings reflected this, ranging from 4.5* to 2.5*
averaging out to 4*. Speaking personally, I found
this novel a gripping and satisfying read and would
recommend it to anyone interested in learning more
about a fascinating culture while reading a trio of
spellbinding story lines.

LALE CULTURE
“Everyone talks about the famous handwoven Turkish hamam
towels so why isn’t anybody selling them?” The answer to this
question was the impetus for a quest that began in July 2009
for Jennifer Gaudet, a Canadian business woman and owner
of Jennifer’s Hamam. Her search for a niche in the Turkish
business market evolved into a life’s mission to prevent the
extinction of a traditional art form.

T

urkish peştamels and peşkirs were easy enough to
find, but not hand-loomed from organic, natural fibres.
Believing that tracking down weavers would be a simple
task; Jennifer’s spirits were high when she started driving
from village to village across the country. Her mood darkened
six days later because she had found only one artisan still
working old-style shuttle looms. At this point in time, weavers
were abandoning their craft because they could no longer
make a living.

Burn Test: A single strand of pure silk will only burn while held directly to
the flame (Photo: Liza Slay)
The culture of traditional textile weaving in Turkey was such
that mothers were home weavers who taught the skills
to their children. Daughters grew up beside their mothers
until they married and became the next generation of home
weavers and teachers. Sons became weaving apprentices
in commercial settings. Forty years ago, movement began
from hand-woven to machine-woven fabrics. When consumer
choice shifted towards inexpensive items flooding the market
place, home weaving was left behind. “A small factory
machine is capable of producing 5,000 peştamels in a
week with one person supervising 20 machines”, explained
Silk Worms: Voracious silk worms are gently covered with mulberry
leaves piled 15 centimeters high, which they devour in as many minutes
(Photograph: Jennifer Gaudet)

The culture of traditional textile weaving in Turkey was such that mothers
were home weavers who taught the skills to their children (Photo:
Jennifer Gaudet)
Jennifer. “A competent weaver working an eight-hour day can
produce a maximum of 10 small, very basic peştamels”.
The quality of hand-loomed products was also plummeting
as weavers could no longer afford the trips to source quality
threads. This gave rise to a new profession of traveling
salesmen offering inferior mixed or synthetic threads at
expensive prices. To add insult to injury, small factory
producers had been copying their original designs for years
and the weavers were no longer able to compete. Looms
were placed in storage or sold for scrap and the art of
hand-woven textile production went into decline. Jennifer
realized that “the only way to save the art of weaving was to
use threads of the highest quality and invent new designs to
separate ourselves from the small factory producers”.
Canadian business woman and owner of Jennifer’s Hamam
(Photo: Jennifer’s Hamam)

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LALE CULTURE
When Jennifer’s first shop opened in the Arasta Bazaar in
Sultanahmet, she had only nine families of weavers. The
early months were a blur of activity, trial and error as they
explored the quality of threads and experimented with design.
The lessons learned were the foundation of her company’s
commitment to quality standards and reducing the carbon
footprint. All her towels, peşkirs, peştamels, blankets, and
scarves are made from natural silk, linen and organic cotton.
The demand for these products led to the opening of a
second shop and, later, a showroom. This success prompted
some merchants to learn a few words in English like “loom”
and “organic” to peddle cheap, factory-produced towels
to unwary tourists at artisanal prices. These imitations are
threadbare after a few years, while Jennifer’s towels will last
several decades, if not longer with proper care. She loves to
show a cleaning rag handwoven by a Turkish grandmother
that has endured more than 100 years of hard use. When
they do meet their end, they will not lie for eternity in landfill;
natural fibres are biodegradable and will not contaminate
ground water or soil.
Linen has been woven into the fabric of human history for
millennia. Harvested from flax plants, it requires less than
half the water of conventionally grown cotton. It is valued
for its antibacterial and stain resistant attributes, natural
durability, and lustre. Mother Nature’s wicking fibre, it is even
more absorbent than cotton and sheds moisture quickly.
However, it is challenging to work with. The movement of
looms causes pure linen’s sinewy and uneven thread to tear
apart, disrupting the rhythm of weaving. To endure the strain
from factory machines, it has to be twisted tightly, intensifying
the inherent inelasticity of the fabric. The natural thread in
Jennifer’s hand-loomed towels creates a soft, but durable
finished product that will last at least 30 years. Once a major
industry, the demand for linen has fallen globally. In Turkey,
few farmers grow it in the quality that Jennifer’s Hamam
requires. For all its desirable qualities, linen is an endangered
fibre.
Organic cotton does not naturally wick moisture. It has to be
taught to drink by a series of soaks in cold water that makes
it increasingly absorbent. Organic cotton farming prohibits
the use of toxic chemicals, fertilizers and GMO seeds.
According to aboutorganiccotton.org, it is 80% rain fed, while
2,700 litres of irrigated water go into one t-shirt made from
conventionally grown cotton. Jennifer’s Hamam is the only
company I have found in Sultanahmet that can show clients
a valid transaction certificate from Global Organic Textile
Standard (GOTS), the international certifying authority that is
recognized in Turkey.
Ahmet Bey, one of Jennifer’s weavers, combines the beauty
and functionality of these two fibres with a hand-loomed
technique that is unique to Turkey. With natural linen on one
side and organic cotton on the other, it demonstrates the
fact that linen always feels cooler to the touch than cotton.
The looping technique, developed by Ottoman weavers
between the 15th and 17th centuries, creates luxuriously
thick towels that can be mimicked by factories in appearance
only. Machines cannot replicate the looped structure which,
when combined with natural fibres, produces textiles of
incomparable quality.
“We will stop at the Grand Bazaar, but we cannot guarantee
the authenticity of what is sold here”, cautioned an Istanbul
tour guide. Machines using digital design are increasingly

36

Loom: By pulling artisans from the brink of bankruptcy eight years ago,
Jennifer has helped keep 600 looms in operation (Photograph: Jennifer
Gaudet)
sophisticated at copying selvedges and tassels that are the
signatures of handloom weaving. The exquisite “100% silk”
scarf I purchased looked and felt like the real thing, but there
is only one way to know for sure: the burn test. Natural and
synthetic fibres react differently to fire. The colour and smell
of the smoke varies. Some are resistant to a spark, while
others flare with surprising ferocity. Naturals tend to burn
relatively slowly, while synthetics like polyester melt. Acrylic
is completely consumed in the blink of an eye. Natural linen
and organic cotton burn similarly, but the former exhibits a
writhing tail of ash. A single strand of pure silk will only burn
while held directly to the flame. Remove it from the source
and it immediately self-extinguishes, leaving a soft bead of
dark ash that reduces to a fine powder. The flare of the test
on my scarf consumed the thread so quickly that it burned
my finger before I could react. It left a solid, melted glob in its
wake, proving that if there was any real silk there at all, it was
mixed with a high volume of synthetic thread. This test can
easily be performed before purchase and Jennifer’s staff have
never hesitated to prove the purity of their fibres.
“I feel like I’m hugging my mother”, cooed a Serbian friend
wrapped in one of Jennifer’s soft, cotton peştamels. The
three-story showroom was a treat for her senses. Her eyes
took in colourful stacks of meticulously folded textiles. Her
nose detected the delicate scent of olive-oil-based soaps
mixed with ingredients like bay laurel, jasmine, fig, and
Moroccan argan. Her fingers touched the rough texture of
exfoliating kese mitts that are woven from tree bark or silk
with goat hair. Custom-made robes and tunics can be made
from the towels allowing clients to surround themselves with
these sensations all day long.

“Fixed prices are a knife in the heart of a Persian!”, gasped
an Iranian friend upon learning that the prices at Jennifer’s
Hamam are set in stone. An alien concept in a region where
haggling is obligatory, this is how Jennifer keeps traditional
weavers in business. By pulling artisans from the brink of
bankruptcy eight years ago, she has helped keep 600 looms
in operation. Unfortunately, this is a temporary solution that
has not addressed the root of the problem: the 40-year gap
that now exists in skills that are no longer being handed down
to the next generation. Turkey has come to the last of its
mother weavers teaching at home. Without them, the art form
is doomed.
All too often, I leave Jennifer’s Hamam with a sense of
mourning because they have sold the last of an extraordinary
textile. Ömer Bey was a master weaver in central Anatolia
whose eldest son took over the family business. He
mechanized the workshop after his father’s retirement.
When Jennifer met the famous patriarch, they understood
each other. “See”, he snapped at his son. “This is what I’m
always telling you. You must go back to the old ways!” Ömer
Bey showed Jennifer textiles unlike anything she had seen
before that he had woven decades earlier. “The piece that
really caught my attention was two layers of shimmering silk
and the softest wool woven together with multiple colours
across one weaving line”. When Jennifer learned that the
looms still existed, they agreed he would bring them out of
storage, repair them and put them back to work. The organic
cotton Seven Wonders towels and blankets at the store were
handwoven under Ömer Bey’s supervision until he passed
away. Tragically, his one-of-a-kind looms were dismantled
and sold for parts. The equipment that made the Seven
Wonders is lost to the world, and the skill that designed it was
buried with the master weaver.
The raw and reeled silk scarves at Jennifer’s Hamam are
made by Meta Bey, who learned the whole process as a
boy from his “silk mother”. Adult silk moths have a life span
of only three days, during which they mate and lay eggs.
Meta Bey carries the eggs in a pouch beside his heart, the
perfect temperature for incubation. To feed the voracious

worms, he gently covers them with mulberry leaves piled 15
centimetres high, which they devour in as many minutes. The
sound of their eating, which is eerily comparable to rainfall, is
as intense as the speed. Meta Bey’s reeled thread is drawn
from the strands of 50 cocoons with fingers so sensitive that
if just one strand drops, he immediately feels it and brushes
in another. The self-healing attributes and arrangement of
its molecular hydrogen bonds make silk pliant and one of
the strongest materials on earth, tougher even than steel,
“pound for pound”. A “vampire fibre”, its only vulnerability
is prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. A scarf woven with
pure silk thread is almost as stiff as cardboard when it is
cut from the loom. It softens after boiling in a vat of water to
which bay laurel soap, natural dyes or ash have been added.
“Much of the silk making process is not pretty”, observed
Jennifer. “It is often only after the final step of ironing that the
beauty of the piece emerges”. None of the children in Meta
Bey’s extended family have learned the tradition. Centuries of
method, skill, and design have come down to this one son of
the Silk Mother.
If you ever see tears in Jennifer’s eyes, you know Turkey
has lost another gifted weaver, an irreplaceable loom, or
both. To prevent this cultural legacy from vanishing entirely,
she is preparing to open a weaving school stocked with
organically-grown raw materials. Her priority is women, who
are under-represented in the Turkish labour market and have
traditionally taught the art of weaving to children. By example,
she strives to raise public awareness to the value of quality
artisanal work that is inclusive of women and sustained by
eco-friendly practices from start to finish.
For more information about Jennifer’s Hamam, visit:
Arasta Bazaar,
NO: 135 & NO; 125
+90 212 516 3022
Email: jennifershamam@gmail.com
Website: jennifershamam.com
Facebook : @jennifershamam
Instagram : jennifershamam

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FEATURE AND PHOTOGRAPHY: CATHERINE SALTER BAYAR

HANDS-ON: PORCELAIN AND CERAMIC
WORKSHOPS
For those who love a challenge, Catherine Salter Bayar shows us where to get hands-on with
handmade crafts

W

alking along a Galata street recently, I stopped in to
wish “hayırlı ısler” to an inventive shopkeeper who
for decades had a three-story shop near the Grand
Bazaar. The former shop had been an impressive oasis of
personal, well-curated Turkish art, vintage and modern, in
a sea of tourist tat near the Grand Bazaar. I was happy to
see him now resettled in a much smaller location, maybe
even one better suited to his clientele. However, he angrily
responded to my greeting, clearly resenting the survival
tactics necessary to make a massive move to another
district, hoping to eke out a living in one of the few remaining
neighbourhoods in which tourists can be found. “BITTI!”
At least he’s still in business. Visit any street in Sultanahmet
or Galata and it’s impossible not to notice that kiralık signs
on empty shops outnumber establishments that have been in
the same location for years. Visiting the Grand Bazaar brings
a disorienting dread these days, as I see which vendors
remain. Dealing with the psychological issues of an uncertain
business scene is a major issue here, as anger and fear
prevail.
Galip Dede Caddesi is one of the few lanes busy during the
day with a mix of visitors. Shops leading up to the Galata
Tower increasingly sell hamam goods and other cheap
tourist-ready items, punctuated by cafes and t-shirt and bag
shop selling Frida Kahlo everything. As much as I revere the
iconic Mexican artist, I’m not sure what her ubiquitous trendy
image has to do with Istanbul. But there are breaks in the
quirky monotony.
Easy to miss in the chaos of the street is Artangel. Melek
Hm’s shop just down from the Mevlanaevi inhabits a narrow
space, crammed to the rafters with wall art of all types – oils,
watercolours, calligraphy, prints – and shelves of vintage
china and home décor from an earlier Beyoğlu era. A small
collection of vintage embroideries caught my eye, as well
as a good selection of traditionally made needle lace, oya,
instead of the machine-made version popping up along the
street outside.
Melek Hm mourned the days of the ‘80s and ‘90s when it was
easy to sell. “Americans are the best shoppers, where are
you now?” she chided me, after getting over her shock that I

38

speak reasonably understandable Turkish. Seeing the Uzbek
suzani embroidery on my business card, she exclaimed “Oh
everyone sells those. I remember when you could get them
by the bagful for no money at all”. I do too, but stumbling
upon bargain treasures that sellers don’t value is unlikely
these globalized days. Chatting with such a shopkeeper is to
wallow in nostalgia, Istanbul’s infamous hüzün for days long
gone.
But a stubborn pursuit of passion in tough times is also
evident, though not as obvious. This year, Melek Hm invited
porcelain artisan Ülkü Kulaç to use the shop’s basement
as her studio, a cavernous space of whitewashed arches,
resonant with the sound of two caged birds, very excited
to have visitors. Ülkü Hm is one of many artisans who are
braving a changing Istanbul to continue the work they love.
After 10 years with a studio at the Mecidiyeköy Antikacılar
Çarşısı, she decided it was time for a more central, vibrant
neighbourhood.
In Turkey, it’s typical that women wait to take up their craft
hobby passion fulltime until retirement, after 20 years’ work at
office jobs or more ‘serious’ work, in practical career versus
‘follow your dream’ thinking. Ülkü Hm recalled she was drawn
to traditional Ottoman Iznik and Kütahya porcelain tiles (çını
in Turkish) from an early age, always doodling patterns. Her
spare time was full of courses at ISMEK, Istanbul’s municipal
training centres, a wonderful low-cost way to learn, but only if
you have good teachers, who can be hit or miss, she warned.
She was fortunate to train with master craftsman Sıtkı Olçar,
cited for his lifetime of work as a ‘Turkish Living Treasures’ by
UNESCO, who made her paint the same leaf motif hundreds
of times for three months until she had it just right.
This kind of painstaking attention to detail can dissuade some
artisans in training, she said. Her best students are those
who really want to learn the traditional methods of porcelain
making and decoration as part of their work training, like the
architect from abroad she’s currently teaching, and others
who want to do restoration work.
As the Turkish name suggests, porcelain roots can be traced
to the Far East, to Uighur and Seljuk art. Ottoman workshops
of the late 15th and early 16th century were producing a

LALE HANDMADE
and decorative décor. The one-of-a-kind tea cups, saucers
and plates reflect the colours of the city outside, the faded
hues of the buildings, the changing blues of the Bosphorus,
with hints of gold to remind of past Empires’ art. Printed
hands and other ornaments are textured with lace and natural
forms, brightly coloured glazes as accents.
The studio wisely works with corporations to produce highend, creative, exclusive collections. The income from this
work allows them the resources to create more personal
items for their own brand, and the time to teach.
Zen Ceramics offers 10-week, three days-a-week, three-hour
intensive courses in learning to master the pottery wheel,
freeform shaping, and glazing. They also teach one-onone private, customized workshops based on the student’s
interests, and workshops for children.
product quite close to the 15th-century Ming porcelains
making their way along the Silk Road, well before Europeans
began the art.
She explained that the çını tiles of the Blue Mosque breathe
because of the natural quartz within the hamur, or refined
clay. These tiny stone particles help the çını act as a sponge,
absorbing moisture and heat, making the walls like living
organisms, yet maintaining an enduring protective element.
Porcelain tiles are fired at much higher temperatures than
ceramic tiles, making them more resilient.
Once the porcelain clay has been formed and dried into a
tile or another object, charcoal dust is pounced onto the raw
form, a tedious transfer of finely drawn pattern from light
thin tracing paper. It’s easy to mar the powdery fine detail
of flower and vine, so most students give up fairly quickly
because of the high patience required.
Ülkü Hm lamented the flood of cheap Chinese ceramics
into the Turkish market the past 15 years, with stamped or
painted designs by workers with far less classical training,
but less expensive to sell to customers not understanding
quality.While she loves the traditional patterns, more modern
forms also appeal in the form of large-scale projects, such as
a mosaic wall in a rehabilitation centre for disabled children in
Kadıköy, or murals in private corporate dining rooms.
In her new studio home, she hosts private students for
workshops, for the day or more extensive training. She’s
happy to customize workshops according to the interests of
her students.
Just down the hill a block below Serdar-ı Ekrem Caddesi
toward Tophane, three artisans have partnered together at
Zen Ceramics since 2009. After occupying separate studios
nearby, they recently decided to open one big studio all
together in this current location. Lovely natural light fills the
rooms, with a small courtyard in the back near the kilns,
where they work when the weather allows.
Zuhal Bilginalp and Nihal Sarioglu met while students at the
Institute of Fine Arts, Marmara University, Nihal after retiring
from 20 years’ service as a chemical engineer. They are
joined in the studio by Mustafa Caner Kurt, another Marmara
alumni. An additional partner, Nesime Kantar, teaches the
marbling art of ebru, though that’s a topic for a future issue.
Also using porcelain clays, their whimsical work combines
traditional patterns into modern tableware, wall ornaments

Zuhal Hm loves teaching. “It’s like a game, seeing students
understand, then create something they never thought they
could”.But selling is a challenge. Putting a value on the work
for all the time spent, considering their years of training, only
to have a random visitor bargaining to pay a fraction of what
they ask, is an annoyance few artisans like to deal with.
But these artisans feel they must be at the centre of their city,
to be close to people and interesting sites, to be easy to find,
to soak in the essence of a place as old as Galata. A look of
horror filled Nihal Hm’s eyes when I asked her if she could not
do this, what else would she do, where would she go? “But
I’ve found my passion…why would I stop?” Indeed.
For now at least, Istanbul somehow remains a magical
place in which you will run into a friend while walking along
a cobblestone street that neither of you live within three
kilometres of. It’s still in many ways a village, 15+ million
residents or not. Serendipity, angst and passion: maybe a
measure of each are needed to survive here.
I’m searching for those corners in which traditions are still
worked with steady, talented hands, not for the goal of
making big money or attracting much attention, but for the
mere pleasure of challenging personal skills with a craft
that warms the heart. This is the first of several missives
identifying where to get hands-on with handmade craft. All
the better to absorb the lessons of this city, if you can spend
your days teaching, learning and creating within the ancient
lanes of Istanbul’s hillside neighbourhoods, along with those
who revel in the glory days, mourning the past…. and those
who stubbornly continue to work their passion.
Join me for craft excursions throughout the Bazaar district of
Eminönü. We’ll find the supplies you’re looking for, at a nohassle price. For more information, contact me at ccsbayar@
gmail.com or on FB at Istanbul Personal Shopper.
Ülkü Kulaç
FB page: İstanbul Çini ve Tasarım Atölyesi
Galip Dede Cd. No:18, 34421 Beyoğlu
532 367 82 01
ukulac@gmail.com
Zen Ceramics
www.zenceramics.com
Hoca Ali Sokak, 17A Galata Beyoğlu
542 400 77 16
zenceramic@gmail.com

39

LALE MUSIC

FEATURE: CHRISTINA BOTONAKI; PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF LARA EIDI

MUSIC TO OUR EARS
Even if we all speak different languages, musicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s universal
appeal reaches across borders to unite us. Christina Botonaki
introduces us to Lara Eidi, who is using her talents on a world
stage

L

ara Eidi is a singer-songwriter with Lebanese, Canadian
and Greek roots now living in London and touring in
Europe and the Middle East. Soft-hearted, romantic
and with an angelic voice, she uses her musicality to inspire,
to connect with people and share life experiences. I had the
opportunity of a short Skype interview, just as she arrived
back from Beirut and her gig in Ashrafieh. She was exhausted
but always with the smile and kindness a true star has. This
are some of the things Lara shared with us.

40

LALE MUSIC
So, tell me Lara what made you choose music as a
career? I mean, isn't it difficult?
Well, the reason I chose music as a profession is, I guess
probably because it makes sense. I mean, it's the easiest
way to express myself. For me, music connects and inspires
people like nothing else, so it wasn't a choice actually, it was
life itself for me. My heart lies in performing, I love it, I love the
stage and the connection with the people, but I also teach
at City Academy in London and that gives me more energy. I
teach to share my knowledge and share a part of me.
That's so nice! And you said a minute ago that you just
flew in from Lebanon, right? Tell me more about your gig.
Actually, it was really great for an exclusive event. There were
international guests from the Middle East and Europe. The
event was a private "Musique de Salon" type of gathering
where I was delighted to meet officials from the banking
sector, cultural affairs, museums and art galleries.
You know having such a diverse audience
and having them all love your music is
really exciting. You see no matter the
background, music united them.
I see, so what music did you play for
them?
Well I prepared a mixed repertoire. I
played my own songs, but like also
American and Canadian folk music,
and also some French chansons.
I chose a couple from Bob Dylan,
Joan Baez, Simon and Garfunkel
and others and I think they really
enjoyed the mix.
So, tell me what do you like
most in Lebanon when you visit
to perform?
The hospitality â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I mean, they
are simply awesome. A lot like the
hospitality I received in Istanbul
when I visited in June. You know
I believe this is what joins us. All
the Mediterranean countries have
this unique openness about them.
Everywhere you go, everyone is open and
kind and when they find out what I do, they
love it genuinely. You know surprisingly, this
time in Lebanon I realized how big the jazz scene is
and that surprised me, I didn't know jazz was so adored
there.
That sounds amazing. Now tell me, or rather our readers,
what music do you write?
Well, that's a difficult one. You know, I don't like definitions,
they are like limitations. I am a singer-songwriter. Ever since
I was a child I was ploughing away at the piano muttering
something. So, I like different kinds of music and musicians
and I think you can hear and feel that in my music. I love Joni
Mitchell, so you can find some of her influence in my music,
but I blend jazz, rock, traditional folk and film music, so it's
hard really to put a label on it.
I see, ok, so we better listen to it and see for ourselves,
right?
Yes, that is the best way.

Now tell me do you have any favourite artists?
Oh, yes, tons. Where should I start. If I start we will never
finish the interview (laughter). Ok, so I love Barbara Streisand
and....... Joni Mitchel as I said earlier. And..... oh, this is a
tough one.... You know, there are just so many artists I adore,
it's really hard for me to chose. Each and every one of them
has inspired me in a different was. So, I am not sure what to
say.
That's ok. Tell me though, which of the songs you've
written is your favourite?
Oh, that's easy Within Without. It is seemingly easy but I
managed to build emotional and musical layers. It is a very
personal song. You could say it's my refuge. It's a song I turn
to when there is turmoil. It's my rescue, my lift and it creates
such a serene atmosphere.
I think we all need that! Tell me, so you live in
London now, but you are touring quite often.
Which countries do you visit and where do
you like it the most?
Let's see. Lebanon, Greece, France,
Scotland and I have been to Turkey
once for a gig and I am hoping to be
coming a lot more often. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to
say though where I like it the most.
You know, I like Lebanon, because
it's like going back to my roots
again. I love the music scene
there, the high energy and the
support you get, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my second
home, a place where I get lots of
inspiration. It resonates the same
as Scotland though to me. I am
sure I must have had Scottish
roots in another life time!
Who knows? Maybe! So, what do
you consider the highlight of your
career?
I have to say performing my own
songs at the Festival du Musique in
Beirut. It was a great honour to play my
music in front of thousands of people
the Roman Baths, one of the greatest
monuments in Lebanon. But, also playing in
London with the famous Ian Shaw, signing for
the refugees and connecting on so many levels with
people was just magical for me. I love the fact that music
draws in social issues that touch everyone's heart, without
necessarily being heavily political.
Can you tell me then what Little People is?
Well you see Little People was my first album, it means a
coming of age to me, it means pinning down my own music
and joining my love for literature and poetry with music. It's a
defining moment when you discover your true voice and as a
result that connection I said before.
So, Lara where do you see yourself in 10 years from now?
I just want to continue to grow as an artist, play in festivals
with my idols. I want to grow as a singer and song writer and
grow as a person through that creative process.
If you wonder what Lara's music sounds like you can visit her
on soundcloud.com/laraeidi
And, if you want to book her for your event you can visit her
page www.laraeidimusic.com.

41

LALE GOURMET

FEATURE: ANNA ILHAN PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF MEZE BY LEMON TREE

DINNER WITH THE CHAIRWOMAN

I

love meze, those small tasty dishes that are perfect for sharing. To me, ‘meze’ is synonymous with good friends, great food
and lots of laughter. Therefore, for the first in a series of articles “Dinner with the Chair”, I thought it best to start with the
beloved Turkish meyhane experience.

M

eze by Lemon Tree, located opposite the historic Pera Palace
Hotel in Şişhane, offers a modern twist on the traditional
Turkish cuisine. The restaurant has an intimate, single diningroom that offers a cozy ambiance with Classic Turkish music playing
lightly in the background, crisp white clothed tabletops and ambient
lighting. The multilingual staff was very knowledgeable about the menu
offerings and entertained by my desire to speak to them in Turkish.
The food is amazing. There are approximately 15 meze choices offered
on a daily basis (selected from a repertoire of 50-plus different meze
options). The selection does change depending on seasonal offerings.
The ingredients were fresh; and everything we ordered was so
delicious. I especially loved red peppers with cheese, shrimp casserole
with cream sauce and seabass ceviche.
With meze my personal preference in rakı, and the restaurant has a
great variety of rakı to choose from (my favorite is No 10). For those
who prefer wine, the restaurant has a list of well-chosen Turkish wines,
predominantly from the Tekirdağ region, that the friendly staff is happy
to help you with.
Pros
Meze by Lemon Tree offers a delicious sophisticated take on the
traditional meze, elegantly presented in a cozy atmosphere with
impeccable service. I am not surprised that the restaurant has
had many favorable write-ups; and was listed as one of the top 50
restaurants in the Monocle Restaurant Awards 2017 (listed as No. 30).
Cons
The atmosphere is cozy; however, some may feel too close to their
neighbor as the tables are close together.
Things to Know
Make a reservation, we saw numerous parties without a reservation
turned away at the door due to lack of space.

SNOWY WEEKEND IN
CAPPADOCIA
Not just a warm-weather destination, Cappadocia is truly captivating in winter. Catie Funk shares her
tips

W

hile most tourists prefer to visit Cappadocia, in
central Turkey, in the warmer summer temperatures,
our winter travels there proved much more
rewarding. Snow covers the usual brown facade and dresses
the rocks in white, giving the area a beautiful, wintery glow.
The area prides itself on its carpet-weaving, wines, and
the distinctive red pottery of Avanos. The snow and colder
weather didn't stop store owners or their warm rooms from
inviting customers into their galleries.
Tour agencies in the region offer four tour routes labelled
Green, Red, Blue, and Purple. To best explore Cappadocia
you can choose a self-guided, well-travelled tour using a map
in a rental car, or via a tour company. Private day guides are
always available and cost less during the offseason. Your
guided tour may or may not include the entrance tickets and
lunch, so be sure to clarify this before agreeing on a price.
Take the Green and Red Tours for the more popular sites or,
the less-travelled, Blue and Purple Tours if you have been
before.
The one-day Red Tour stays around Central Cappadocia,
exploring the cave churches of the Göreme Open Air
Museum, Paşabağ (Imagination Valley), the old Greek village
of Çavuşin, and the three Beauties (Fairy Chimneys). The
route swings by the pottery workshops in Avanos, home of
the master Cappadocia pottery masters. Here, visitors can
watch the masters mold and sculpt the red clay into bowls
and plates. If you ask, the master will let you give it a try!
End the day at the famous rock castle of Uçhisar, the highest
point in the region.
The one-day Green Tour travels further south of the main
cities, exploring the Derinkuyu Underground City, an ancient
multi-level refugee settlement carved by early Christians.
From Derinkuyu, your next stop is to visit the beautiful Valley
of Ihlara and the old Peristerona 'Valley of Sky' along the
Melendez River. On the way back to Göreme, visit Selime
Monastery and end your day with a sunset photo opportunity
at the Pigeon Valley viewpoint.

44

The Blue Tour covers the areas of an old Greek Village of
Mustafapaşa, Keslik Monastery, Sobesos ancient Roman
ruins, Soğanlı Valley hike, and an underground city.
Our previous travels in Cappadocia covered most of the Red
and Green tours, so we decided to rent a car and explore a
few sites along the Blue path. Since the snow was still falling
in some areas, we stayed on the main roads and museums.
The panoramic view of Red Valley and the Zelve Open Air
Museum covered in fresh snow, were our favourite stops on
this trip.
To understand the attractions on the Blue tour, it helps to
know how the Cappadocia region was formed. The area’s
lava rock formations have created miles of intricate, natural
gorges and fascinating fields of dips and peaks.
Later on, communities carved into these formations to create
rooms for their homes, churches, and stores. Initially a refuge
for early Christians, who escaped persecution by living and
worshipping underground, Cappadocia boasts a staggering
3000 rock churches in this region, many of which are not
open to the public.
This region became absorbed into the Persian empire, then
became a semi-independent kingdom during Alexander the
Great’s reign, then a Roman province, and much later, part of
the Byzantine Empire.
Up until the 1950s, the people here thrived, but over time
the structural integrity of the cave homes started to erode.
And, newer commodities like indoor plumbing and electricity
brought challenges to homeowners of the rock houses. While
many homes lay abandoned, most locals have restored the
cave homes to stores, and restaurants and hotels.
The Zelve Open Air Museum proved a compelling choice,
with several churches dug into a cliff, and fairy chimneys. A
guard told us this museum has fallen into natural disrepair,
and will eventually be closed due to the collapsing walls and
falling rocks.

LALE TRAVEL
GETTING TO CAPPADOCIA

Choose from one of the many airlines that fly into the Kayseri
airport east of the region. The airport is small but caters
mostly to the millions of people who tour the Cappadocia
region. Less frequent flights also fly into the city of Nevşehir
an hour west of the area. Depending on where you are
staying, the Nevşehir airport could be closer. However, the
Kayseri usually has more frequent buses and shuttles going
into the region. Depending on the time of travel and airlines,
roundtrip tickets cost around 250-300 TL per person. Shuttles
from the airport to the hotel cost around 30 TL one-way.
Overnight bus services also offered from Istanbul, Izmir,
Antalya, Ankara and many other cities to Cappadocia.

Cappadocia consists of several towns such as Ortahisar,
Ürgüp, Göreme, Uçhisar, and Avanos. Nevşehir is the capital
of the region. All of these villages are very close to each other,
only 5 to 10 km apart.
Use this checklist to make sure your tour of Cappadocia will
be complete:
• Wake up early to watch the hot air balloons rise over
the area near your hotel or go on a hot-air balloon ride!
• Explore an open-air museum
• Weave through one of the underground cities
• Drink some tea/do some window shopping
• Pick one of the valleys (Red, Pigeon, Love,
and Devrent) and go for a hike
• Do some shopping at your hotel if you were
not able to shop enough on your tour
• Enjoy the sunset from the cliffs overlooking
Göreme or other valleys
• Bonus: Enhance your knowledge of Turkish
culture with one of the Turkish Dinner Shows
If you want to follow our travel route:

If you would like to follow our route, Pegasus had a direct
flight to the Kayseri Airport. Our afternoon flight from Izmir
on Friday gave us sufficient time to pick up our rental car
which we also booked through Pegasus's website. Try to get
afternoon tickets to Kayseri if you are driving, the sun sets
around 5 pm and if you are unfamiliar with the area, finding
your hotel can be a little tricky.

WHERE TO STAY

While Göreme is a typical choice for first-timers, consider one
of the many towns nearby for a more authentic, less-touristy
filled experience.
Our choice, Castle Inn Cappadocia in Ortahisar, proved to
be a perfect fit for our weekend. The owner, Suat Ulusoy,
renovated this smaller, boutique hotel from a 150-year-old
cave house. While it could have easily been ten rooms, Suat
decided to keep it intimate with only five uniquely designed
rooms. Communication passed smoothly, and it was very
apparent that Suat cares for his guests like this inn were his
home, and the guests are his close friends. He ordered food
for us Friday night when the roads were too icy to drive on,
to arranging my ‘surprise’ hot air balloon ride for my husband
Jason, and then rescheduling it after unfavourable winds
cancelled the first-morning booking.
Taşkonaklar Boutique Cave in Uçhisar
Argos in Uçhisar
Kayakapı Premium Caves in Ürgüp
Kismet Cave House in Göreme

45

LALE TRAVEL
FOR KIDS

Most families prefer to travel to Cappadocia in the Spring
through the Fall time. The weather allows for fewer layers
and more comfortable travel conditions. However, there are
always plenty of activities for children found along the way.
Find any pottery in Avanos and have your kids “throw a pot”
for free. There is no obligation to buy, but it's impossible not
to find a keepsake to take home. Go for a hike off the beaten
path in one of the many valleys. Go to the horse corrals near
the Göreme Open Air Museum and let the kids sit on the
horses. In the summer or favourable weather, take a gondola
ride or jet boat ride in Avanos along the river. In warmer
weather, camping is an excellent option for families!

WHAT TO EAT

The cuisine is the usual array of Turkish food. However, the
regions boast about their Testi Kebap which is a type of
beef, chicken, or lamb stew cooked in a sealed clay pot and

WHAT TO SEE

Most hotels connect guests to either their tour guides or a
local business. Choose from three routes to see different
parts of Cappadocia.

46

LALE TRAVEL

then broken open in front of you. Try the Sofra Restaurant
in Avanos which sells the Testi Kebap prepared for two
people for around 45 TL, but many restaurants also serve this
scrumptious meal in the area.
Pumpkin Restaurant in Gรถreme
Seten Restaurant: Anatolian Cuisine in Gรถreme
Bizim Ev in Avanos

http://www.captivatingcappadocia.com
www.castleinn.com.tr
Catie Funk is a travel writer, part-time language learner, and
co-host to The FunkTravels Podcast. Before moving to Izmir
with her American husband, Catie coordinated university
study abroad programs to multiple international locations, and
she has lived five years between Turkey and Afghanistan. She
shares her expat lifestyle, local events, and travel with others
through her website, funktravels.com, and via social media @
funktravels.

Every region of Turkey displays their unique designed for
carpets and pottery for their area. Cappadocia is no different.
Spend time browsing the stores and notice the beautiful
handmade rugs of silk, wool, and cotton. Visit a local pottery
store and see the master at work. No obligation to buy.

WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO?

For the dare-devils, a few companies offer ATV and Jeep
excursions. Also, never overlook a good cup of Turkish tea or
traditional Turkish coffee. Find a couple of hours to relax at a
local cafe to warm up after a chilly walk through the open-air
museums.

BENEFITS OF A BILINGUAL EDUCATION
Children who are immersed in a second language have key advantages in cognitive development and
health. Robin Pascoe shares the research

T

here has been a veritable explosion of scholarly and
mainstream interest in bilingualism in recent years as
the world has become more closely connected through
economics and communication than ever before. Second
language proficiency and in particular, early acquisition of the
English language, is viewed as an asset for students in order
to become global citizens and to pursue opportunities which
exist worldwide.
Canada—with two official languages English and French—
has been at the forefront of the research.
Canadian psycholinguist Ellen Bialystok from York
University in Toronto has conducted studies on the impact
of bilingualism on the brain for more than four decades as
well as exploring the effects of bilingualism throughout life.
She found that, among other benefits, the occurrence of
degenerative brain diseases and cognitive impairment is
much smaller in bilingual individuals.
Other major impacts of bilingualism have emerged. Consider
these five key benefits as identified by the World Economic
Forum which includes its impact on cognitive abilities:

48

1. Bilingualism staves off dementia. On average, bilinguals
develop Alzheimer’s five years later than monolinguals;
2. It makes people better at multitasking. The
bilingual brain switches between tasks more
easily and is good at problem solving;
3. It can help people focus and make them ‘mentally fit’.
Bilingual students are better at ignoring distractions;
4. It may improve empathy and communications
skills. Growing up with two languages makes
children look for non-verbal cues;
5. It makes the brain more resilient. Bilingual patients
recover cognitive functions quicker after having a stroke.
The latest research on bilingualism and numerous articles
relating to the subject are now published regularly in the
media and are being shared over the Internet, especially by
parents who are wondering if they should choose a bilingual
education to ensure their child’s future success in life.
The short answer for parents is yes. If bilingualism makes a
person smarter, more empathetic, less distracted and live
longer, it stands to reason that choosing a bilingual education
for a child—if available and affordable—is an easy decision.
But what exactly is a true bilingual education? For one thing,
it’s about more than just learning a second language by
memorizing vocabulary for an hour a day.

MUMS ’N KIDS
“A true bilingual education is the use of the mother tongue
and a second language as the media for instruction of the
school curriculum”, says Bill Morgan who currently works as
the Academic Director for Maple Bear in Brazil where more
than seventeen thousand Brazilian students attend Maple
Bear Canadian Schools. Worldwide, Maple Bear operates
close to three hundred bilingual schools in 16 countries
including Turkey.

As a pioneer in this educational approach, Canadian
educators have spent decades refining this model through
studies on the long-term impact of immersion and bilingual
programs on student achievement compared to single
language instruction.

Based on Canadian best educational practices which have
been internationally recognized by the OECD, Maple Bear’s
bilingual education begins with an early immersion approach
in preschool. Instruction is delivered in English, then
transitions to an equal amount of English and mother tongue
language instruction at the elementary level and beyond.

The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein wrote many years
ago, “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.
When we learn to speak a different language, we learn to
see a bigger world”. A bilingual education allows children to
develop their potential on all levels and to prepare for a future
of opportunity at home and around the world.

Literacy is the cornerstone of the program, which targets
student proficiency in English writing, reading, listening and
speaking skills while also instructing age-appropriate literacy
skills in the student’s first language. Academic instruction in
both languages is grade appropriate and meets or exceeds
national standards.

Robin Pascoe is the Director of Global Communications at
Maple Bear Global Schools. There are presently two Maple
Bear pre-schools operating in Turkey in Kemerburgaz and
Çekmeköy. The latter will offer elementary next year. For more
information, please see www.maplebear.com.tr.

49

LALE PROGRAMMES
SOCIETY
AI WEIWEI AT THE SAKIP SABANCI MUSEUM

The Ai Weiwei exhibition is one of the most talked-about arts
events in Istanbul in 2017 – so much so, that it has been
extended until the end of January and we wanted to give
members another opportunity to see it – together with a look
at the Sakıp Sabanci’s amazing calligraphy exhibition.
Ai Weiwei is China’s most famous international artist, and
likely its most outspoken domestic critic. Despite challenges
of censorship and battling the legal system, Ai expresses
himself and organises support for protest through his art and
social media.
Our IWI partner Banu Küçüksubaşı, a professional Art
Historian and Tour Guide, will provide an enlightening and
engaging guided tour of both the permanent calligraphy
collection and the Ai Weiwei special exhibition.
Sakıp Sabancı began collecting Ottoman calligraphy and
Ottoman art in the early republican period. Today’s museum,
in the beautiful “Horse Mansion” (built in the 1920’s and
named after the wonderful statue in the garden overlooking

the Bosphorus), contains his private collection of around
1,000 items. It has hosted several important exhibitions of
international artists since opening in 2002.
We will first the permanent Ottoman calligraphy collection,
seeing valuable Qurans, calligraphic panels, and fermans.
Seize this rare opportunity to learn about how Islamic culture
is abstract, and how two dimensional lines have much
deeper meanings as they reach out into the fourth dimension.
Banu will talk about calligrapher sultans, how calligraphy
was also used to make pictures, and how the usage of
words describes the world in place of drawing it, making
comparisons with modern and contemporary art.
Then on to the highlight - Ai Wei Wei’s works. Ai’s work
consists of installations, videos, photos, and sculptures
focusing on political matters, human rights, refugees and
other subjects. We are delighted that his first solo exhibition in
Istanbul will be interpreted for us by Banu.
The lovely mansion, with excellent terrace café and stunning
Bosphorus views, might keep you lingering for lunch!
Date

Join our long-standing IWI member and cookery expert, Arzu
Hancer, in the comfort of her beautiful home, to learn and
enjoy some of Turkey’s Mediterranean food tradition.
Under Arzu’s guidance, we will have the hands-on
opportunity to prepare a variety of traditional dishes from
the south of Turkey. Arzu will be delighted to explain
her techniques, share her tips for success and provide
background information on ingredients and the food culture
of this region.
Together we will be prepare, and enjoy eating!, these dishes
• Hummus trio ( Hummus made 3 different ways)
• Chicken with Tahini and pistachios
• Bulgur salad with roasted pumpkin and dried apricots
• Quince poached in pomegranate juice served with clotted
cream.

50

Arzu’s passion for the art of cooking first blossomed in her
hometown of Sinop, in the northernmost part of Turkey.
Growing up in a household where both her parents loved to
cook, she learned from an early age to infuse passion in every
bite. Educated at top universities abroad, and working as
a lecturer and strategy consultant, she had the opportunity
to live in several countries - her love of food grew as she
experienced and was influenced by her time in Germany, the
UK, South Africa, Singapore and Hong Kong. She earned
her pastry chef degree at the Prue Leith Chef’s Academy in
South Africa, and worked at one of South Africa’s favourite
patisserie and food shops – Moemas. For the last four years,
she has loved being back in her native country and running
cookery workshops for the international community.
Date

LALE PROGRAMMES
SKATING, AND LESSON FROM A PRO!
We will skate either in UNIQ Maslak, the only open skating
rink in Istanbul, or in Metrocity (covered), Levent. The final
decision will be according to the weather and notified in the
event reminder email.
So whether you are an expert keen to show off your gliding
prowess or a complete beginner who would just like a fun
morning learning a new skill among friends, come and enjoy a
sporty morning you won’t forget in a hurry. Afterwards, we will
go for some refreshments and a catch up together, or you can
continue skating. We regret that children are not welcome on
this occasion.

Time to try something a little bit different! Winter is starting
and therefore we should have some winter fun. Ice skating
has been a hugely popular winter sport throughout the world
ever since its invention 3,000 years ago in Finland. So why
not celebrate the winter sports season by coming and joining
IWI ladies for some skating.
We are privileged to have Turkey’s first-ever fully qualified
figure skating coach as a member of the IWI…. Gabriele
Sailer will be happy to provide tips and advice to anyone
who would like to learn some cool moves or improve their
technique.

LIFE COACHING
This workshop agenda is as follows:
1. Introduction and short theory, followed by exercises
designed to help participants make the most out of the
workshop, and enable them to let go of their negative feelings
during the workshop itself.
2. Open dialogue in which participants may choose to share
any issue or subject that is preventing them from moving
forward intheir lives.
3. Reflection and feedback between each exercise in which
participants will be invited to share their direct experience,
and get the coach’s help as well as feedback from others.
It might be the start of an incredible well-being journey for
you. If you want to get rid of any residual pain following
suffering, want to get on with your life in peace and with
greater acceptance, or eventually learn how to create the
reality you want to live in by focusing all your resources and
potential into the right direction, then this workshop is for
you!
In this workshop, participants will understand and handle
negative feelings, learn how to create the life they want, and
step out of the past with confidence. Participants will be
taught how to use simple and effective tools to continue with
the process in their everyday lives, so that they can make the
changes happen once and for all.

This will be an opportunity to re-energise your commitment
to self-help! Those who are already familiar with NLP (NeuroLinguistic Programming) or Psychology are also welcome.
Date

LALE PROGRAMMES
COFFEE & CULTURE TOUR: KUZGUNCUK
Park, the restored Fethi Paşa mansion is now as a restaurant,
with a nice Bosphorus view.
Continuing on to Kuzguncuk, we reach the small district
containing Jewish synagogues, an Armenian church and
a Greek Orthodox church. For hundreds of years, these
people of different faiths lived side by side, and they left their
physical marks as well as their sense of community spirit.
Strolling the main street, we will enjoy browsing small
jewellery ateliers, art galleries, curiosity shops, artisan
bakeries… and check out the produce at the communal
vegetable gardens.
Kuzguncuk is a small, charming village in the Üsküdar
district on the Asian side. Once home to a thriving mix of
Greeks, Jews and Armenians, it retains much of its traditional
architecture and neighbourhood atmosphere.
In the 15th century, the area was known as “Little Jerusalem”.
Later, in the 18th century, Armenians began moving in.
There was also a large Greek community, as evidenced by
their churches. Over the years following the departure of the
area’s long-established minorities, the ethnic make-up of the
neighbourhood has changed, and Black Sea Anatolians now
form the majority of lucky residents.
Meeting IWI member Gabriele Sailer in Üsküdar, we will walk
together along the Bosphorus towards Kuzguncuk. We pass
the curious old cigarette warehouse and Fethi Paşa Park, one
of the largest green spaces surviving in Üsküdar. Inside the

Having seen all the lovely cafes, it will be a tough group
choice where to stop for coffee or a light lunch before we say
“au revoir” to Kuzguncuk – because you are sure to want to
return.
Date

BAKING FOR VALENTINE’S DAY
Sylvie has lived and worked in several countries, supplying
restaurants and private clients with the beautiful, traditional
French pastries, celebration cakes, speciality breads and salty
aperitif bites. You might even have come across her work in
some of the well-known restaurants in Istanbul! For the last
seven years, she has also been enjoying sharing her talents
with others through running baking classes.
You can check out Sylvie’s work on Facebook (“Symphonie
BySylvie”)

Our French IWI member and patisserie expert, Sylvie, has
planned a fun and creative learning opportunity to turn the
heads of our loved ones…. Sylvie’s workshops for us in 2017
went down a treat, and we can expect that there will be some
extra love in our baking as we practice for Valentine’s Day!
France is famous for romance, as well stunning patisserie.
Sylvie will be very happy to share her secrets, and her
passion, to let you find your way to making some wonderful
creations of your own.
We will see demonstrations and decorating ourselves:
• Chocolate sponge cake with coffee cream
ganache, covered with white and red
sugar paste, in the shape of a heart
• Red cookies with white chocolate chips

52

We will take home all the cookies made and everyone will
leave with his own chocolate and coffee cake heart.
As well as tea and coffee, we will also be provided a light
lunch of a vegetarian quiche with goat cheese and dried
tomatoes, served with a salad.
Date

LALE PROGRAMMES
THE KANGAL DOG – A TURKISH ICON
This talk, illustrated with slides, will introduce you to aspects of Turkish
history and culture you may never have considered.It will cover the
origins of the Kangal Dog and how it developed its unique physical
and mental characteristics to ideally fit its traditional role as alivestock
guardian. We also look at its new roles in Turkey and in other countries,
discover what it’s like to own a Kangal, learn something of the legal
position concerning dogs in general in Turkey, and, finally, speculate
about the Kangal’s future. Whether you are a dog lover or not this talk will
widen your knowledge of Turkey and its culture.
Lesley Tahtakılıç, bases her talk on over 30 years experience of owning
Kangals, making many visits to the homeland of the Kangal Dog in
central Anatolia, and researching, writing and publishing a book, The
Kangal Dog of Turkey.
‘The Kangal Dog is valued for its courage and strength, its
loyalty to the shepherd and its devotion to the animals in its
charge....’
A rare breed of livestock guardian, the Kangal Dog is
regarded in Turkey as a national treasure, a cultural icon,
which has even appeared on the country’s postage stamps.
Asa resident of Istanbul you may have noticed the Kangal
trait of a dark face mask on many of the mixed breed street
dogs, but out in the countryside in their own territory you will
see the true Kangals, bred for centuries to work with flocks
and herds.

COFFEE AND CULTURE - KANDILLI
Adile Sultan was an Ottoman princess, a poet and a
philanthropist. She lost her mother at a very young age, but
was given a good palace education and later married another
key figure of Istanbul, the naval fleet commander Mehmet
Ali Paşa. Their three children also died, and she joined a Sufi
order and devoted her life to charitable works, which included
donating the palace to become a girls’ educational institute.
The walk will end at approximately 12.00 pm at the Kandilli
boat station with the possibility of lunch at the adjacent fish
restaurant (not included in walk fee). The walk will be led by
our long-term IWI member Lesley Tahtakılıç, a resident of the
village for over 30 years.

The village of Kandilli lies on the Asian shore of the
Bosphorus directly opposite Bebek, and between Çengelköy
and Anadolu Hisar. From the boat station we will walk up hill
and around the many small alleyways and steps of Kandilli
village. As this is a very hilly district many of the streets are
steep so participants need to be fit and wear suitable shoes,
preferably rubber-soled and flat. We will look at the quaint
wooden houses, originally built in the late Ottoman period,
most now fully restored. We should also be able to visit
the beautifully restored Adile Sultan Sarayı, a late Ottoman
Palace on the hilltop overlooking the village with wonderful
views of the Bosphorus.

Anatolia’s colourful history has left a windfall of riches—
ancient ruins, ornate Byzantine churches, supremely elegant
mosques, and splendid Ottoman palaces.
In this illustrated seminar, Serif Yenen, one of Turkey’s
foremost cultural experts and an author, highlights the
heritage and splendour of ancient Turkey through an
examination of some of its cultural gems.
Serif Yenen runs his own company, Cultural Interaction
Points, to promote understanding of the Turkish culture; we
are delighted that he has agreed to host this event for our
members in his beautiful old apartment building. Şerif has
given the same seminar at the Smithsonian in Washington
D.C. a few times.
Session 1 - Neolithic and Bronze Ages: Göbeklitepe,
Çatalhöyük, Kültepe and Hattusha

54

Notes: Turkish kahve (coffee) and çay (tea) will be served,
as well as a delicious typical light lunch. Also included in the
price, participants will receive wonderfully illustrated maps of
both Istanbul and Turkey showing the cultural highlights.
This day will delight those interested in understanding more
about Istanbul, Turkey and the Turkish people, whether you
are a new arrival here or you are interested in getting deeper
insights from an expert.
Date

LALE CALENDAR
GET IN FROM THE COLD WITH IWI’S JANUARY AND FEBRUARY PROGRAMMES

Monday

January 2018

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

17

18

19

20

21

24

25

26

27

28

15

Asian Side Coffee

22

16

AI WeiWei

23

Mediterranean
Cookery
29

Ice Skating

30

Life Coaching

31

Life Coaching

Monday

Tuesday

5

February 2018
Wednesday

6

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

1

2

3

4

8

9

10

11

14

15

16

17

18

21

22

23

24

25

7

Valentine’s Day
Baking
12

13

Asian Side Coffee

19

Valentine’s Day

20

The Kangal Dog

26

27

28

Coffee and Culture Turkish Culture
Kandilli

55

MUMS ’N KIDS

MEETINGS AND PLAYGROUPS
IWI has weekly playgroups organised according to children’s ages. These are usually
hosted by our members at their homes, meet-ups at parks or walks along the Bosphorus
coast
IWI GROUPS
These playgroups are free of charge for IWI members.
This is an opportunity to meet other parents of infants
or toddlers, as well as share the joys and trials of
motherhood while creating a support network.
Please contact the Mums ‘n Kids Coordinator Lyubov
Gürler at mumsnkids@iwi-tr.org if you have any questions
or suggestions.
The coordinators will add you to the group’s mailing list to
keep you updated about future events.
Pregnant and infants (0-12 months)
Coordinator: Candice
Walkers – Younger Toddlers (1-2 years)
Coordinator: Tanya
Toddlers (2+)
Coordinator: Merle
Asian Side Playgroup (for all ages)
Coordinator: Need a Volunteer

PLAYGROUPS AT SCHOOLS
Bosphorus International PreSchool,
Emirgan
Teacher-organised activity, song and
circle time, garden play (weatherpermitting).
Coffee, tea, milk and cookies provided.
When: Fridays
Time: 10am-11:30am
Cost: FREE
Age group: 0-3 years
Please contact Ms Collette LaffanPersembe at preschool@bipschool.net or
telephone at 0212 277 8444.
*Note: please call on Thursdays to
reserve. There are only 10 openings
every week. Please only ONE known
adult per child.
www.bipschool.net.

56

British International School,
Zekeriyaköy

Eden’s Garden International
Preschool, Yeniköy, Istanbul

Indoor and outdoor play (weatherpermitting), followed by snack and music
time. A known adult must stay and
supervise the child.

The Mums ’n Kids Team is a volunteer group that organises activities for you and your children to enjoy. Please take
responsibility for your own child’s safety. IWI is not liable for any injury or loss incurred

Gymboree Play and Music has been fostering creativity and
confidence in children aged 0-5 for over 30 years. Today there
are over 550 locations in 30 countries, making Gymboree the
global leader in early childhood development programmes.
Designed by experts, the age-appropriate activities help
develop the cognitive, physical and social skills of children
as they play. The programmes are also recognised for their
unique approach to parent involvement, which encourages
participation in and understanding of each child’s development.
Cost: 1,020TL for 12 classes (after IWI discount applied)
Gymboree members can also enjoy complimentary free-play
times during the week. For non-Gymboree members, IWI
members these cost 30TL per hour. School Skills programme
(drop-off) for the 2-3 year olds or 3-4 year olds. 10% discount
on full-year School Skills programme for IWI members.
Music and Art classes are also available. Limited offer for IWI
members: 12 classes for the price of eight. Birthday parties for
1-7 year olds (20% discount for weekday bookings)
Please contact Esra Taşar at esratasar@gymboreeturkey.com
or telephone 212 275 8787. www.gymboreeturkey.com

Our House

A café with a playroom dedicated to babies and toddlers up
to three years old, Fotini Café is located along the Bosphorus
coast and offers a comfortable area for you and your child to
unwind and have fun at the same time.

15% discount for IWI members on Play and Learn classes in
the Ortaköy branch. Please present your IWI membership card
to claim your discount.

Hotpot Café - Şişli, Istanbul

Merkez Mah. Perihan Sk. Erbil Apt. No 71-73B, Şişli – Istanbul
Located centrally in Şişli, with just a short walk from the metro
station, Hotpot café offers playgroups (baby/toddler), yoga
(prenatal, yoga, adults), dance and drama classes and other
fun activities for both kids and mums. There is a 10% discount
for IWI members. Please present your IWI membership card
to claim. Please contact Melissa at info@hotpot.web.tr or
telephone 0212 343 5353. www.hotpot.web.tr

There are doulas on both the European and Asian side. Doulas
may be willing to travel to your location. For more detailed
information about each doula, and on how a doula can support
you, visit www.fullcirclehealing.org.
Specialising in pregnancy and childbirth, providing education
and counselling services to expecting parents and bringing
together experts who believe in a natural approach.
www.do-um.com
After-school workshops, toddler art, kinder art, weekend
workshops, holiday camps, themed birthday parties.
www.lotsoflovelyart.com
Our House is located in Cihangir as a center for children
and families. The aim of the organisation is to generate
curiosity, creativity ad awareness for children at all stages of
development. www.ourhouse.club

Atölye Hippo - Your Art Studio in Yeniköy

A brand new kids’ space in Yeniköy – Istanbul!
Arts & crafts workshops (ages 6-14), walk-in studio
alternatives, mommy & me groups, play groups, movies nights,
karaoke parties, Go sessions, Zumba dance…
At Atölye Hippo, we want your kids to spend quality time,
discovering, creating and designing. Whether you want
to exploit those after school idle times, or schedule your
weekends with exciting countless workshop alternatives,
Atölye Hippo is the right place. Alternatively, Atölye Hippo
workshops may also be offered at your premises, be it a
special corporate event, a compound gathering, special
parties, birthdays or celebrations at your homes…
We are proud to announce that, we very recently started going
to schools as an after-school club...you may run into us at your
school:)
Contacts us at:
info@atolye-hippo.com
0542 521 21 30 www.atolye-hippo.com

57

IWI BOARD

s
’
t
LeWork
Together

SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR
Every year IWI organises special events such as the annual
Winter Festival for our members and the community.
IWI Needs: an organised energetic woman (or women) to lead
a dynamic team of volunteers.
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR
The Lale is a lifestyle magazine for IWI members and the
community; and advertising is as important as the content
itself.
IWI Needs: an administratively strong women to work with
the Lale Editor in engaging with current advertisers and
attracting new ones.

58

LOCAL AREA ADMINISTRATORS

IWI has local area administrators that organise social

activities for IWI Members in their area. This is a great way
to meet new friends and support other women in your
community.
The IWI Mums ‘N Kids Group also has area administrators
that organise activities and play groups for children of various
ages.
IWI Needs: women interested in leading local area activities.
ONLINE MARKETING COORDINATOR
Social media is an important part of today’s society; and an
excellent way to reach out to our members and community.
IWI Needs: a digitally savvy woman who can lead a team
of social media and website administrators in reaching IWI
members online.

COMMUNITY

t
e
g
s
’
Let

Together

Your
Neighbourhood
Community
Meetup
(NCM) administrator organizes meet-ups and
activities in your area.
This is a great opportunity to connect
with other women and discover what
IWI has to offer.
Unsure what area you are in and who
to contact? Ask us at
community@iwi-tr.org

MACENTA (Beşıktaş, Levent)
macenta@iwi-tr.org

PEMBE (Bebek)
pembe@iwi-tr.org

SARI (Sarıyer)
sari@iwi-tr.org

BEYAZ (Ortaköy)

Vacancy, beyaz@iwi-tr.org

MOR (Nişantaşı, Beyoğlu)
Vacancy, mor@iwi-tr.org

TURKUAZ (İstinye)

MAVİ (Göktürk)
mavi@iwi-tr.org

YEŞİL (Yesilköy, Bakirköy)
yesil@iwi-tr.org

TURUNCU (Çengelköy)

turuncu@iwi-tr.org

LACIVERT (Beykoz)
lacivert@iwi-tr.org

KIRMIZI (Kadıköy, Üsküdar)
kirmizi@iwi-tr.org

turkuaz@iwi-tr.org

New To Istanbul?
Every month we hold Newcomer Coffee Mornings where you can learn more
about IWI and Istanbul. Contact us to find out more.
EUROPEAN SIDE
newcomerseurope@iwi-tr.org

ASIAN SIDE
newcomersasia@iwi-tr.org

59

GROUPS & ASSOCIATIONS
IWI

Have a particular passion or want to learn one? There are IWI social clubs and
other associations to get involved with in Istanbul. It is a great way to expand
your community, make new friends and find support!

This is an Asian-side meet-up. Bikes
can be rented, but bring your own rollerblades. It’s lots of fun.
For details, contact Gabriele Sailer:
gsailer@paradisefruit.eu.

Tennis Group takes place at Istanbul
Tennis Academy (ISTA) in Istinye. All
levels are welcome! For details, contact
IWI Sports Coordinator, Olga: pautova@hotmail.com

FRIENDS OF ARIT ISTANBUL

PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB

Friends of ARIT, was established to
support the ARIT (American Research
Institute of Turkey) in Turkey; and runs
a year-round programme of tours and
lectures for members and guests.
Membership is open to all interested
residents of Istanbul. Contact: 0 (212)
257 81 11.

The photo club, a group of international
members of varying skill levels (basic
to semi-professional), and share the
common desire to capture the world
in a photograph and explore Istanbul
while doing so.
Contact Katherine Baker:
photoclubofistanbul@gmail.com.

Girl Scouts is dedicated to helping
girls build leadership skills through the
development of strong values, social
conscience and conviction about their
own potential and self-worth. Girls ages
five and up are welcome. Contact Kat
Bekham: 0 (542) 300 24 92 or
usagsoistanul@gmail.com

Speech Bubbles Theatre, is a drama
group composed of amateur and professional dancers, singers/musicians
from the international community;
which also runs a part-time school of
performing arts for children and adults
on Saturday mornings.
Contact: tom@speechbubbles.org

Istanbul Accueil provides the French
speaking community in Istanbul information on events and activities.
Contact: istaccueil@gmail.com or
Website: www.istanbulaccueil.org

Portuguese speaking group. Isabel
Ponte Gulpan: 0 (532) 274 16 53

SOUTH AFRICANS IN ISTANBUL
For information please contact:
esbie@hotmail.com

NETWORKING

INTERNATIONS
InterNations is where globally minded
people have the opportunity to network
and exchange valuable tips and topics
regarding expatriate subjects. For information visit our website:
www.internations.org

PAWI (Profn’l American Women of Ist.)
PAWI is a network of American and
Canadian women living in Istanbul that
strives to empower and support members by promoting personal and professional growth. Contact:
pawimembership@gmail.com

TOASTMASTERS INT’L ISTANBUL
The English-speaking Istanbul Toastmasters Club helps members improve
their communication and leadership
skills in a supportive environment.
Contact: vpmembership@istanbultoastmasters.org

SPORTS
ISTANBUL RUGBY CENTER

OTTOMAN RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB

iTEAM

Rugby Club in Istanbul has coaching
for children and teenagers. Turkish, English, French and Spanish are spoken.
www.istanbulrugbycenter.com

Players of all ages (17+) and all levels
of fitness are welcome. We practise
Saturday 16:00-18:00, except on game
days. www.ottomansrugby.com

An Expat Football Community of amateurs who enjoy playing and learning
football. Ages, skills and experience
welcome. Facebook: @iTeamFootball

SUPPORT

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
& AL-ANON
For more information and a full listing
of all English-speaking AA meetings in
Turkey with local contacts can be found
on the AA Europe website:
www.aa-europe.net.

C@RMA
C@rma is a social initiative promoting
dialogue between professionals and
NGOs. We have volunteer opportunities that require various skill set on our
platform, www.4carma.com, and also
organise events where NGOs present
their projects and brainstorm with other
professionals.
For more information, contact
info@4carma.com.

FRANSIZ FAKIRHANESI
LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR
Contact Mother Mary:. psdptr@gmail.
com or 0 (212) 296 46 08
SUPPORT GROUP FOR PARENTS OF
CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
Looking for the support of other
parents of children with special needs;
and additional resources for your
child? Contact Carol Crous:
0 (533) 730 71 48

Anne Nature’s six-piece certified organic skincare line,
covers all the basic needs in skin care for child, mother
and the whole family. IWI members receive a 15% discount
on any purchase from the web page: www.annenature.
com with the promo-code ‘IWI’ (in addition to any existing
promotion campaigns)

IWI Members Discount: 15% discount on all treatments
and package programs
British salon owner, Ann Marie Sabuncu is offering IWI
members a 15% discount on all treatments and package
programs. Chill Out Spa is a small boutique spa using
quality products from Decleor and the latest in technology.
LPG body treatments and reflexology are just some of the
treatments available. For more information please contact
Ann Marie at 0212 231 1159. www.chilloutspa.com.tr

Private lessons for kids 4+ years and adults
One-to-one and group lessons for ages 3 and 3,5 to develop piano
playing skills with songs, rhythm games and fun activities
Lessons in English or Turkish
Lessons either in teacher’s (Ulus/Ortakoy area) or student’s house
Piano recital at the end of school year
Preparation for London College of Music piano exams upon request
Sandra: 05324220413

62

IWI Members Discount: free Turkish conversation
classes that take place twice a month between 14:3015:30
Located in the heart of Etiler, Concept Languages is
offering one free Turkish conversation and grammar class
to any IWI member presenting their card. Classes will take
place twice a month between 14:30-15:30. For information
and reservations, please contact: Başak Toksoy 0 (212) 351
18 40 or basak.toksoy@conceptlanguages.com

IULC offers discounts for IWI
members. IULC, in the light of modern
developments in foreign language
education, by benefiting from the
academic branches of our university
in teaching foreign languages (English,
French, German, Russian, Arabic,
Spanish, Greek, Portuguese etc.)
especially “Turkish as a Foreign
Language”, is in the status of Istanbul
University’s opening window to the
world. For more İnformation, please see:
http://dilmerkezi.istanbul.edu.tr/en/ or
call: +90 212 243 67 29.

MARRİOTT ŞİŞLİ SPA & HEALTH CLUB
IWI Member Discount: 20% discount
Indulge in a day of relaxation and
pampering at our luxury spa. We offer
a wide range of massage and beauty
treatments, guaranteed to refresh and
renew you. IWI members receive 20%
discount. Appointment is required,
Phone: +90 212 3750100 ext. 3695

MOMMA ZEN/ANNEZEN

IWI Member Discount: 20% discount
on full price prenatal yoga and
birthing classes, workshops,
massages and mother-baby yoga
classes
Momma Zen & Annezen is a centre
which specialises in yoga, massage
and aromatherapy for the pregnant
woman, baby yoga and baby massage
workshops and kid’s yoga.
We also offer a doula service and
breastfeeding workshops, as well as
massage and yoga for non-pregnant
women. Momma Zen also teaches
HypnoBirthing classes in English and
runs workshops on making natural
skincare products. For IWI members
we are pleased to offer a 20% discount
on the full price of prenatal yoga and
birth classes, workshops, massages
and mother-baby yoga classes. Momma
Zen/Annezen, Kordon Yolu Sokak 8/1,
Kordon Apt, Kalamiş, Istanbul. Tel: 0216
345 0866. www.momma-zen.com or
www.annezen.com/program

SHANDRA SPA

Shandra Day SPA, Bebek, the Skincare
Specialists
Our Skincare Specialists are
professional and experienced
estheticians who will recognize and
meet all the needs of your skin.
Your skin is unique, so we use the
sophisticated cosmetic brand Darphin,
with CACI Non-Surgical Face Lift & LED
Light Therapy to bring youth and vitality
to your skin. IWI members receive
special discounts: 15% discount for all
treatments; 20% discount for a series of
treatments. For the further information
and the whole treatment list visit: https://
shandra-spa.salonized.com, Contact
phone: 05443235081.

PRIVATE TENNIS LESSONS

IWI Member Discount: 20% discount
For Kids and Adults of all skill levels.
Located in Istanbul, we specialize in
coaching all skill levels. We’ve got you
covered. Our classes focus on rapid
development while being affordable
and fun. We offer 20% discount to IWI
members.
Mert Ozgenc: Certified tennis
trainer, more than 12 years coaching
experience. Mobile: 0532 602 3883,
Email: mert_ozgenc@yahoo.com

SWISS CENTERDENT DENTAL CLINIC
ZORLU CENTER

IWI Member Discount: 20% discount
on all services
Swiss Centerdent Dental Clinic is
located in Zorlu Center Shopping Mall,
İstanbul and Sihlcity Shopping Mall
Zürich, Switzerland. Our experienced
team of specialists offers you Swiss
excellence and standards in dental
health care. Our clinic offers the entire
spectrum of dentistry, with the use of
state of the art technology. We strive
to create a practice climate that is
beneficial, soothing and inviting. Our
services: Implantology, Orthodontics,
Paediatric Dentristry, Prostethics and
much more: We offer a 20% discount on
all services for all IWI members.
Swiss CENTERDENT, Zorlu Center,
Teras Evler, T0, Daire 35, Beşiktaş,
Istanbul, 0212/ 353 63 83 www.
swisscenterdent.com

TIME OUT SUBSCRIPTIONS

IWI Member Discount: 25% discount
on subscriptions
Time Out Istanbul in English is offering
a 25% discount on subscriptions for
IWI members. Make Time Out your
monthly go-to guide for the city. Find
out how you may get your free issue
by contacting: Omer Karanis, omer@
ajansmedya.com; www.timeoutistanbul.
com

Ahmet ve Bilge Kadıoğlu are following
their family’s 130 year old business
tradition in selling spices, teas, nuts
and fruits as well as herbal cosmetics.
IWI members are being offered a 10%
discount on the websites www.hayfene.
com and www.ucuzcular.com.tr for not
discounted products. The promo-code
is “iwistanbul”. Also, get a 10% discount
at their shop in Mısır Çarşısı No 51. For
more information: info@hayfene.com

LINGUA ISTANBUL / TURKISH
LANGUAGE SCHOOL

Lingua Istanbul teaches Turkish at every
level, to foreigners living in Turkey.
Lingua Istanbul offers 20% discount for
all IWI members in private tuition and
group classes. For detailed information
and contact: www.linguaistanbul.com,
info@linguaistanbul.com, 0 (542) 636 39
89

EKRIA

EKRIA is a timeless, contemporary
jewellery brand for men and women. The
future is its endless inspiration. It rejects
all notion of unnecessary flourishes,
finding the ultimate sophistication in
subtle design where strength is key.
With a minimalist approach, it offers a
universal take on luxury accessories,
defined through a capability of
constantly edging ahead of the curve.
London-based EKRIA consists of
one eternal collection. The Timeless
Collection, serving as a central point for
the two additional season collections.
Each EKRIA piece is 1 micron Gold
Plated Sterling Silver, crafted with
laser-cut precision. To benefit from a
40£ equivalent voucher on any of your
purchases, enter EKRIAFORIWI code on
www.ekria.com.Come to visit us at the
showroom in Istanbul; Vali Konagi Cad./
Kodaman Sk. No. 9; Mim Plaza, A Blok,
5th floor, office 83, Nisantasi
info@ekria.com Phone: +90 212 230
9110

CONRAD ISTANBUL BOSPHORUS

Make Wednesday night jazz night at
Summit Bar & Terrace at the Conrad
Istanbul Bosphorus. Savour the smooth
sounds, trio performances and breathtaking views of the Bosphorus every
Wednesday between 8:30pm-11:30pm.
IWI Members receive a 15% discount
for WednesdayVibes. For further
information or a reservation, you may
call 90 212 310 2525 or email Conrad_
Istanbul@conradhotels.com

NAZARYAN KUNDURA

Since 1953, Nazaryan Kundura is
offering exclusive handmade genuine
leather shoes to Women. IWI members
benefit from a 20% discount on ready-

63

IWI POLICIES
Membership Directory
Membership information is only available online in the members only area of the website at present, but depending on
sponsorship availability, may again be printed in the future as it was in the past. Whether online or in print, any and all
member information is provided to IWI members in strictest confidentiality. Provision of member information to third
parties contravenes IWI policy

MEMBERSHIP

Membership is open to all women who hold a
Non-Turkish passport. For application details,
please visit our website www.iwi-tr.org.
Membership registration is also available at our
Newcomers meetings, held each month on both
the European and Asian sides. Please refer to the
Newcomers page in this Lale magazine for details
of timing and location.
Changing Address?
Don’t forget to give us your new address (postal
and/or e-mail) to avoid delays to the delivery
of Lale magazine or for up-to-date IWI member
information. Contact our Membership Coordinator
by e-mail at membership@iwi-tr.org.

To place an advertisement please contact us at
advertising@iwi-tr.org. Advertisements must be
confirmed through signed contract before any
payment is accepted.
Classified ads: Restricted to 50 words.
Member cost: 1-3 FREE in our online publications
(Non-Commercial Ads) Non-Member cost: $60 plus
18% VAT.
All advertising costs are payable by bank transfer.
No cash payments accepted. A copy of the
payment transfer (dekont) should be sent via email:
advertising@iwi-tr.org. Only paid advertisements can
be included in Lale.

DISCLAIMER
Lale Content
The IWI as an organisation and the IWI Board
members act within the laws of Turkey pertaining
to publishing but they do not accept any
liability regarding the accuracy or content of
the contributions supplied by our advertisers or
members’ articles. In order to comply with these laws
or publishing standards the IWI reserve the right to
reject or edit any submission to Lale. Furthermore,
the IWI does not accept any responsibility for any of
the services rendered by any of our advertisers.
Programmes
Cancellation of a programme reservation after the
deadline remains fully payable. Please refer to our
website www.iwi-tr.org for up to date details, last
minute additions or programme changes. The IWI
reserves the right to cancel programmes due to
insufficient numbers. You are responsible for both
you and your child’s safety and the IWI cannot accept
responsibility for injury or extra cost incurred during
any activity organised by the IWI, or advertised in
Lale.